What was the growth rate of KEYTRUDA sales in the United States in the third quarter
lth businesses and even greater growth in earnings.
As expected, GARDASIL sales were particularly robust as we benefited from a sharp improvement in manufacturing output and availability of more doses to help address ongoing strong underlying demand. We are confident that the momentum we are seeing will continue through the end of the year, setting us up for continued growth over the next several years. We remain focused on our efforts to transform the way we work by evolving our operating model to be leaner, nimbler and more digitally enabled. My leadership team is fully aligned behind the need for Merck to work with more speed, urgency and agility across all aspects of our business.
We must stay ahead of the evolving external environment to ensure we are able to make the significant investments required to deliver future innovations that will address unmet medical needs across the globe. In doing so, we aim to deliver important medicines and vaccines to patients while continuing to drive long-term sustainable growth and value creation for all of our stakeholders. Finally, I want to highlight the recent publication of Merck's Environmental, Social and Governance Progress Report. This year's report highlights important updates on metrics and goals around our four ESG priority areas, which include access to health; our employees, including their health and safety as well as engagement and diversity; environmental sustainability and ethics and values.
These ESG efforts are grounded in the core values that have always guided our mission and support our business strategy. We look forward to providing ongoing updates on these important efforts. With that, I will pass it to Frank to review the details behind our Human Health performance.
Frank Clyburn -- President, Human Health
Thanks, Rob. Good morning. As Rob highlighted, the momentum in our Human Health business continued in the third quarter, and we achieved 17% growth, excluding the impact of foreign exchange. We have continued to invest with urgency in patient activation programs that improve patient awareness and encourage more normal levels of physician office visits, oncology screens and vaccination rates.
These actions, while ended benefiting patient health, also meaningfully benefited our largely physician-administered portfolio in the quarter. In the United States, we are encouraged that wellness visits and surgical procedures remain at mostly normal levels. In oncology, while screening rates and diagnosis continue to improve, they are unfortunately still below pre-coated levels, and this is impacting new patient starts. Outside of the United States, our business performance remains strong despite lingering impacts from the pandemic in certain markets.
Now turning to the third quarter performance of our key brands. My comments will be on an exchange basis. In oncology, KEYTRUDA sales grew 21% to $4.5 billion, reflecting continued robust global demand. In the United States, KEYTRUDA continues to demonstrate durable momentum across all key tumors, including growth from our recent launches such as KEYNOTE-522 in neoadjuvant adjuvant triple-negative breast cancer.
KEYTRUDA is continuing to extend its very strong overall IO class leadership, improving new and total patient market share. KEYTRUDA continues to maintain its leadership position in lung cancer, capturing eight out of 10 eligible new patients despite continued competition. Outside of lung, key tumors contributing to growth include renal cell carcinoma, triple-negative breast, MSI high, esophageal and head and neck. We are also excited by the recent approval and upcoming launch of KEYNOTE-826, which is the first anti-PD-1 combination approved as a first-line treatment of cervical cancer.
Outside of United States, KEYTRUDA growth continues to be driven by lung cancer indications and the ongoing launches in head and neck and renal cell carcinoma. We are continuing to see the opportunity to expand our reach into earlier lines of therapy materialize. We are very excited about the potential upcoming adjuvant launch
lth businesses and even greater growth in earnings.
As expected, GARDASIL sales were particularly robust as we benefited from a sharp improvement in manufacturing output and availability of more doses to help address ongoing strong underlying demand. We are confident that the momentum we are seeing will continue through the end of the year, setting us up for continued growth over the next several years. We remain focused on our efforts to transform the way we work by evolving our operating model to be leaner, nimbler and more digitally enabled. My leadership team is fully aligned behind the need for Merck to work with more speed, urgency and agility across all aspects of our business.
We must stay ahead of the evolving external environment to ensure we are able to make the significant investments required to deliver future innovations that will address unmet medical needs across the globe. In doing so, we aim to deliver important medicines and vaccines to patients while continuing to drive long-term sustainable growth and value creation for all of our stakeholders. Finally, I want to highlight the recent publication of Merck's Environmental, Social and Governance Progress Report. This year's report highlights important updates on metrics and goals around our four ESG priority areas, which include access to health; our employees, including their health and safety as well as engagement and diversity; environmental sustainability and ethics and values.
These ESG efforts are grounded in the core values that have always guided our mission and support our business strategy. We look forward to providing ongoing updates on these important efforts. With that, I will pass it to Frank to review the details behind our Human Health performance.
Frank Clyburn -- President, Human Health
Thanks, Rob. Good morning. As Rob highlighted, the momentum in our Human Health business continued in the third quarter, and we achieved 17% growth, excluding the impact of foreign exchange. We have continued to invest with urgency in patient activation programs that improve patient awareness and encourage more normal levels of physician office visits, oncology screens and vaccination rates.
These actions, while ended benefiting patient health, also meaningfully benefited our largely physician-administered portfolio in the quarter. In the United States, we are encouraged that wellness visits and surgical procedures remain at mostly normal levels. In oncology, while screening rates and diagnosis continue to improve, they are unfortunately still below pre-coated levels, and this is impacting new patient starts. Outside of the United States, our business performance remains strong despite lingering impacts from the pandemic in certain markets.
 Now turning to the third quarter performance of our key brands. My comments will be on an exchange basis. In oncology, KEYTRUDA sales grew 21% to $4.5 billion, reflecting continued robust global demand. In the United States, KEYTRUDA continues to demonstrate durable momentum across all key tumors, including growth from our recent launches such as KEYNOTE-522 in neoadjuvant adjuvant triple-negative breast cancer.
KEYTRUDA is continuing to extend its very strong overall IO class leadership, improving new and total patient market share. KEYTRUDA continues to maintain its leadership position in lung cancer, capturing eight out of 10 eligible new patients despite continued competition. Outside of lung, key tumors contributing to growth include renal cell carcinoma, triple-negative breast, MSI high, esophageal and head and neck. We are also excited by the recent approval and upcoming launch of KEYNOTE-826, which is the first anti-PD-1 combination approved as a first-line treatment of cervical cancer.
Outside of United States, KEYTRUDA growth continues to be driven by lung cancer indications and the ongoing launches in head and neck and renal cell carcinoma. We are continuing to see the opportunity to expand our reach into earlier lines of therapy materialize. We are very excited about the potential upcoming adjuvant launch