Why You Shouldn't Ignore Possible Symptoms of Lung Cancer

With more time spent at home during the pandemic, many of us have become do-it-yourself- ers – taking on new home improvement projects, dinner recipes and self-care routines. But one thing we may not have tackled is our health, including routine doctor’s appointments. If your check-ups have fallen off the to-do list, you’re not alone. In 2020, many Americans delayed visits for routine medical care due to the pandemic. As a result, important tests, like lung cancer screenings, went down by nearly 50% from the previous year.

To address this, Merck partnered with patient advocacy groups (non-profit organizations) – Lung Cancer Foundation of America, GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer and the Lung Cancer Research Foundation – to remind all of us how important it is to get our health back on track, especially if we’ve noticed something isn’t right. There are certain symptoms we shouldn’t ignore, such as an unexplained cough lasting more than three weeks or shortness of breath. While these can be symptoms of other health conditions, they are also signs of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the U.S., making up almost 25% of all cancer deaths. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. When caught early, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is nearly 60%, but when it is caught late, the five-year survival rate drops to only 6%.

If you’re at risk for lung cancer and experiencing possible symptoms, don’t gloss over it. Do it FOR yourself and make an appointment to talk to your doctor today.

This program features a 60-second and 30-second TV PSA that is available for use through January 2022.

For more information, visit DIFYLung.com.

VIDEO PROVIDED BY: Merck

FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION OR HARD COPY, PLEASE EMAIL: PSAS@multivu.com