Lawsuits

Recent studies have found that side effects of Viagra may increase the risk of melanoma, a serious and potentially deadly form of skin cancer. Lawsuits are now being reviewed for men nationwide who may have avoided problems from melanoma if warnings had been provided.

STATUS OF VIAGRA MELANOMA LAWSUITS: Product liability lawyers are providing free consultations and case evaluations for men diagnosed with melanoma following use of Viagra, to determine whether financial compensation may be available through a lawsuit.

MANUFACTURER: Pfizer

OVERVIEW: Viagra (sildenafil citrate) was approved in 1998 for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The widely used drug generates more than $2 billion in annual sales for Pfizer, and has been widely used by millions of men.

Viagra use has been previously linked to potential health risks, including hearing loss and vision loss, which can occur within 48 hours of first use.

In 2014, a study was published that linked Viagra and melanoma skin cancer, suggesting that users of the medication may face an 84% increased risk of developing the serious and potentially life-threatening disease.

VIAGRA SKIN CANCER RISKS: Melanoma is diagnosed in about 69,000 Americans each year, according to the American Cancer Society, and causes about 8,650 deaths annually. The serious form of skin cancer can often be treated and cured when detected early. However, once it spreads beyond the skin and nearby lymph nodes, it is typically incurable.

In April 2014, a study was released by the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine which evaluated the risk of skin cancer from Viagra. While researchers did not find that Viagra use was associated with an increased risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma or Basal Cell Carcinoma, the study did find that use of the drug may increase the risk of the more serious Melanoma skin cancer.

Because of limitations in the study, no causal link was established between Viagra and melanoma. However, the researchers indicated that Viagra may lower the levels of a cancer-fighting protein called PDE5A that allows invasive melanoma cancer cells to spread unchecked.

FAILURE TO WARN VIAGRA LAWSUITS: As a result of Pfizer’s failure to thoroughly research their blockbuster ED drug or adequately warn users or the medical community, financial compensation may be available through a Viagra melanoma lawsuit.

According to allegations raised in cases being investigated nationwide, if warnings and information about the risk of skin cancer from Viagra were provided, men may have avoided a melanoma diagnosis by choosing not to use the drug or may have prevented the skin cancer from reaching an advanced stage if they were informed about the importance of looking for unusual moles or growths on the skin.

Early detection of melanoma is critical for treatment and long-term survival. Users of Viagra could have been warned about ABCDE system of checking the skin for signs of cancer, looking for:

• Asymmetrical moles or growths, where one half is different from the other.
• Borders that are irregular in shape.
• Color changes over time and more than one color on one growth.
• Diameter of growths and moles that exceed 6 mm; larger than a pencil eraser.
• Evolution of the mole or growth, meaning that it changes appearance over time.

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