Viagra May Lower Men’s Resistance to Melanoma, Prostate Cancer

The findings of recent research may suggest that side effects of Viagra impact a man’s overall ability to fight off cancer, with one study indicating that users of the popular erectile dysfunction drug may face be more likely to develop melanoma skin cancer and another suggesting that the medication may increase the risk of prostate cancer recurrence.

Viagra (sildenafil citrate) is one of the most well-known prescription medications in the United States. Since it was introduced by Pfizer in 1998, it has been aggressively marketed for erectile dysfunction and used by millions of men to improve sexual performance.

Although it is widely believed to be a safe medication, concerns have emerged over the potential link between Viagra and cancer due to its role as a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5A). Researchers are now questioning previous beliefs that tumor growth may be inhibited by these types of drugs, which also include other blockbuster ED treatments like Cialis.

Over the past year, two different studies have been published that suggest there may be a link between Viagra and cancer-fighting agents in the body, potentially providing deadly forms of cancer an opportunity to take root and run wild.

Just last month, a study published in the The Journal of Urology found that men taking Viagra faced an increased risk of prostate cancer returning after they appeared to have beaten the disease. Researchers found that PDE5A inhibitors like Viagra, Cialis and other ED drugs appear to increase the risk of prostate cancer recurrence by 38%.

In April 2014, Harvard Researchers raised concerns about the risk of melanoma skin cancer from Viagra in a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, indicating that users may be 84% more likely to be diagnosed.

Melanoma is a serious and deadly form of skin cancer, which causes about 8,650 deaths each year, according to the American Cancer Society.

While melanoma is often curable if caught early, once melanoma has spread beyond the skin and local lymph nodes, treatment is difficult and it may ultimately result in death. This has raised serious questions about why Pfizer failed to warn about the potential link between Viagra and skin cancer, which may have allowed men to avoid the development of life-threatening melanoma by more carefully monitoring for skin changes.

Risk vs. Benefits

The FDA deems that every drug on the market must be able to show that its benefits outweigh its risks. If additional research establishes links between cancer and Viagra use, this may impact the analysis and lead some to call for a Viagra recall. Part of the reason for that possibility is that Viagra does not cure anything. While improves the ability to obtain and maintain an erection, it does not treat the underlying causes of the sexual dysfunction, which can be anything from stress and anxiety, to the natural process of aging.

Furthermore, erectile dysfunction does not pose any physical risk to a man. It does not shorten his life span or cause other health problems, impact mobility or health in any other way besides being frustrating.

In most cases where the FDA allows drugs that can lead to severe health consequences to stay on the market, it’s because they combat even more severe health consequences. However, that is not the case with Viagra. If the researchers’ findings are confirmed, Pfizer and the FDA would have to justify putting men at risk of death from melanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer for the benefit of providing a temporary treatment for erectile dysfunction.

A number of men are now reviewing potential Viagra cancer lawsuits against Pfizer, alleging that the drug maker knew or should have known about the potential risk of melanoma, yet withheld information and warnings from consumers and the medical community.