Health awareness

Driving prostate cancer research forward

Our scientists are dedicated to advancing research for potential treatment options for people diagnosed with prostate cancer

September 4, 2024

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It’s estimated that nearly 1.5 million people assigned male at birth were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 worldwide.

But these patients aren’t just a statistic or a number. They’re our partners, our parents, our children, our siblings and our friends. They’re our loved ones, fighting for better outcomes and a chance for the future. And that’s who we’re fighting for, too.

“Globally, someone is diagnosed with prostate cancer nearly every minute. That’s why we’re working with urgency to advance research and provide potential treatment options for patients living with this disease.”

• Dr. Kentaro Imai, distinguished scientist, oncology, prostate clinical research

The impact of prostate cancer on patients

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in patients assigned male at birth worldwide. The average age at diagnosis is 66 years old. Prostate cancers is more likely to develop among those with African ancestry or a family history of the disease.

Prostate cancer can be genetic in other ways, too. Several inherited genetic mutations — such as those of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes — can increase prostate cancer risk. These types of genetic mutations, among others, can be identified through testing your tumor (also known as biomarker testing).

For those patients who are diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer, the prognosis is promising, with a five-year survival rate of nearly 100%. However, for patients with prostate cancer at an advanced stage, the outcomes can be dramatically different, and the five-year survival rate remains low.

“As with many cancers, patients with prostate cancer have the greatest chance of survival when their disease is detected early,” said Dr. Imai. “The prognosis for prostate cancer worsens as it spreads to other areas of the body, given that there are limited treatment options at that stage. It’s critical that we push forward to identify new options for these patients.”

Our commitment to prostate cancer research

Our science, coupled with new insights into the disease, continues to guide us as we pursue clinical advancements in prostate cancer.

"Our scientists are working diligently each and every day in an effort to discover new solutions for patients with prostate cancer."

— Dr. Kentaro Imai

Distinguished scientist, oncology, prostate clinical research

Since the next breakthrough can come from anywhere or anyone, we regularly collaborate across the entire prostate cancer community, working with health care providers, other companies, academia and advocates to gain a deeper understanding and make progress for patients with prostate cancer.

“The fight against prostate cancer is constantly evolving, and therefore our approach to the disease must evolve, as well,” said Dr. Imai. “We’re committed to pushing boundaries in pursuit of breakthrough advances that have the potential to change the lives of patients living with prostate cancer.”

Health awareness

Why you shouldn’t postpone cancer screenings

Our company teamed up with the American Cancer Society to raise awareness on cancer screenings and help support access for everyone

August 15, 2024

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Fear is a powerful emotion, especially when it comes to cancer.

Fear of what a screening test might discover, fear of potential discomfort and fear of the unknown kept Terry Craft from getting a regular cancer screening.

He decided to see a doctor after an intense and painful episode of constipation, an appointment he says he should have had 10 years earlier. Craft was 47 years old when he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.

“My wife actually wanted me to have a colonoscopy when I was in my late 30s because I had a little bout and I said, ‘No, I’m not doing that,’” says Craft.

“I didn’t get screened because I was afraid of it. I just didn’t want to know if there was something that might be serious or life-threatening. It was a fear factor for me.”

• Terry Craft
  Colon cancer survivor

He says his doctors told him his tumor had potentially been growing ever since that experience in his 30s.

“Had I gone for a simple screening 10 years prior I might have, as I say, ‘nipped it in the bud’ and it might have just been a rogue polyp, who knows,” says Craft. “But because I didn’t, I had to go through a lot and it wasn’t just me — when cancer affects one member of a family, it affects everyone.”

“Due to pandemic-related delays in screening for breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancers, many cancers could be going undiagnosed and untreated and may advance to later stages and be more difficult to treat,” says Laura Makaroff, senior vice president of prevention and early detection at American Cancer Society. “We foresee that those reductions in health care access and cancer screening will result in a short-term drop in cancer diagnoses and a later corresponding increase in late-stage diagnoses and potentially preventable deaths. “

Craft is in remission today, and he makes it a point to tell others just how important cancer screenings are, no matter what the results might be.

“It’s OK to understand what’s going on,” says Craft. “You want to know, don’t hide from it. If you hide from it, the outcome might not be what I experienced. It could be a deadly outcome.”

Early detection matters

Darleen Alston didn’t have health insurance when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. She says if it wasn’t for the free mammogram that she received through a cancer screening program, it “could have been months” before she knew she had cancer.

“I can say that it [screening] saves lives because it saved mine.”

• Darleen Alston
  Breast cancer survivor

While many people face different kinds of barriers to getting the medical care they need, having access to preventative health screenings shouldn’t be one of them.

“I tell everybody, go get your mammogram. And if you can’t afford it, go to the screening. They’ll do it for free,” says Alston. “You’re not going to lose anything by going. You’re going to lose your life, maybe, if you don’t go.”

Preventative care is for everyone

There are cancer screening resources available to help people who are uninsured or underinsured find low-cost or free cancer screenings.

To help these efforts and improve cancer screening rates, Merck teamed up with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and their Get Screened campaign.

Our company, along with other sponsors, joined ACS in its goal to raise $30 million for a national initiative to help support access to recommended cancer screenings. The initiative includes collaborations with key stakeholders, including state and local health systems, to implement evidence-based screening interventions and public policy solutions that may benefit all.

“It’s important to ensure access for everyone to recommended cancer screenings to reduce screening disparities and unnecessary cancer deaths,” says Makaroff. “During the pandemic, we know that disparities in cancer screenings increased for people with greater social or economic barriers. Through our Get Screened campaign, the American Cancer Society is working to increase regular screening rates for everyone to help save more lives.”

Health awareness

Prostate cancer: stigma, early screening and support

A prostate cancer survivor and a caregiver and advocate want to inspire more people to talk about the disease

April 26, 2024

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Even after losing his father and grandfather to prostate cancer, Henry H. Washington III, Ph.D., was still shocked by his prostate cancer diagnosis after a routine screening. A retired Army Major and longtime athlete, Washington saw himself as the picture of health.

“After fighting for my country in the military and then to find out I have prostate cancer – how do I deal with that? It was a lot of emotions. I think as men we aren’t allowed to have emotions. We are taught that we need to be strong.”

• Henry H. Washington III

Screening for prostate cancer is key in early detection

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer for men in the U.S. Anyone who was born with a prostate can develop it. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed during their lifetime, and Black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer.

 In its early stages, prostate cancer can be difficult to identify because there are usually no symptoms.

Routine screening for those who are at risk can help detect prostate cancer early before it has spread. The greatest risk factor is age. Men over the age of 65 have the highest risk. Additional risk factors include inherited gene mutations and a family history of certain cancers.

Speaking out and supporting loved ones with prostate cancer

Courtney Bugler, president and CEO of ZERO Prostate Cancer who herself is a cancer survivor, said she was inspired to take on this role to support her father, who is living with the disease.

“There’s a stigma around prostate cancer and watching my dad made me want to shine a light on something that, quite honestly, I don’t think gets enough attention. After almost 20 years of him supporting me after my own diagnosis, it’s time for me to be there for him.”

• Courtney Bugler
  CEO of ZERO Prostate Cancer

The stigma associated with prostate cancer can be attributed in part to the nature of the disease and its treatment disrupting normal urinary, bowel and sexual function, all of which can impact a patient’s body image and self-esteem. The thought of impaired sexual health, in particular, may even lead men to avoid screening for prostate cancer altogether.

Statistics show there’s still unease around prostate cancer diagnosis

A 2022 study of 200 metastatic prostate cancer patients, conducted by Merck and Cerner Enviza, found:

• 58% of patients agree there’s a stigma around prostate cancer.
• 39% didn’t share their feelings about having prostate cancer with loved ones because they felt they needed to “stay strong.”
• More than a third felt uncomfortable, embarrassed or vulnerable talking to their loved ones (37%) or their doctor (38%) about emotional challenges.

Now cancer-free for a decade, Washington said he sees helping others as his purpose. He faces the potential unease head-on by educating others about prostate cancer, encouraging men to get checked early and working with men who have been diagnosed.

“Survivorship is not a linear experience; sometimes it’s two steps forward, five steps back,” said Washington. “The support I received from my friends, my support groups, my mother and my family is what gave me strength to educate others about prostate cancer.”

For more information about prostate cancer and access to helpful resources visit ZERO Prostate Cancer.

Health awareness

Biomarker testing may help inform treatment decisions in certain cancers

An oncologist explains why cancer biomarkers may provide more precise information about a person's cancer

December 5, 2023

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Over the past 20+ years, there’s been an evolution in how we think about cancer. Cancer biomarkers — substances produced by tumor cells that reflect unique features of a tumor — can change the approach to certain cancers.

Advances in biomarker testing may help inform treatment decisions

It wasn’t long ago when conversations were about simply “breast cancer” or “lung cancer.” Now, physicians can get a lot more precise.

“We’ve come to understand that two people with the same type of cancer may have differences in the specific changes in the genes, proteins and other substances that may allow cancer cells to grow and spread.”

• Dr. Scott Pruitt
  Associate vice president, early-stage development, clinical oncology, Merck Research Laboratories

“The field of breast cancer research was arguably the first to realize that there are multiple cancer subtypes and that biomarker testing could help inform therapy,” said Pruitt.

In the treatment of breast cancer, understanding various tumor biomarkers and pairing that understanding to help guide selection of relevant medicines has helped physicians evaluate potential treatment approaches. And the same is true in lung cancer where understanding tumor biomarkers has been used to help guide therapy aimed at targeting certain genetic mutations.

Biomarkers may help us understand a cancer better and how to approach it. That’s why biomarker testing may be an important next step after a cancer diagnosis.

Biomarker testing after a cancer diagnosis

Blood test

Biopsy of the tumor

Testing for proteins and/or genes to look for known biomarkers

Biomarker testing and genetic testing may enable detailed characterization of some cancers

Some biomarker tests can find inherited genetic changes that you may have been born with that may increase your risk of cancer or other diseases. Genetic testing might help determine if you have certain mutations (for example, the BRCA gene) which could help inform treatment options.

Merck has been at the forefront of research to advance the understanding of biomarkers for certain cancers.

“Across our oncology studies in every phase of development, we continue to incorporate multiple biomarker approaches to more fully understand biology as well as identify new targets of interest,” Pruitt said.

Discussing biomarker testing with a health care provider

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, it’s important to ask your doctor about biomarker testing. Start with these questions which may help you prepare for conversations with your doctor:

• Is biomarker testing appropriate for the type of cancer that I have?
• If there’s a chance my cancer was caused by an inherited risk factor, should I undergo further testing?