Barbara Anderman  |  August 21, 2014

Category: Legal News

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viagraMedical researchers are looking at a connection between erectile dysfunction medications and melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Research found that men taking Viagra (sildenafil) had an 84 percent higher chance of developing melanoma than those not taking the drug, a significant risk increase. And for men who took Viagra once and stopped, the chance of melanoma doubled.

Melanoma is the most likely skin cancer to spread, and as such is the most dangerous. Unlike moles, skin cancer can invade nearby normal tissue or can spread throughout the body. Named for the type of cells that become malignant, or cancerous, the three most common types of skin cancer are melanoma (in the skin and pigment cells), basal cell (basal cell layer of the skin, usually in areas exposed to the sun), and squamous cell (often found in areas not exposed to sun in dark-skinned individuals, or exposed to sun in light-skinned individuals).

Melanoma, like other skin cancers, is largely associated with too much sun, especially without sunscreen. It’s rare, but causes the majority of skin cancer deaths. When discovered early, it is often curable. However, it is also responsible for more than 9,500 deaths a year in the United States.

Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data of nearly 26,000 men collected between 2000 and 2010. Over that decade, more than 3,500 cases of Viagra skin cancer were reported, 142 cases of which were melanoma. Researchers did not notice an increased risk for other types of skin cancer from Viagra.

The study was an observational one, with participants self-reporting information, and Viagra was the only erectile dysfunction medication cited because it was the only one approved when the study began in 2000. It could be presumed that other erectile dysfunction drugs could have the same effect, as they work on the same biochemistry, but no follow-up studies have been done to see if there is a similar connection.

One of the study’s authors, Dr. Abrar Qureshi, chairman of the Dermatology Department at Brown University, did not suggest men stop taking Viagra. However, he did tell NBC News that “People who are on the medication (Viagra) and who have a high risk for developing melanoma may consider touching base with the primary care providers.”

Viagra, Melanoma and Men

Originally discovered by Pfizer scientists, Viagra acts by inhibiting an enzyme that promotes degradation of cGMP, which regulates blood flow in the penis. The question is what ties this drug to melanoma? The answer is age, and possibly genetics.

Close to 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. According to the American Cancer Society, 76,000 of those are melanoma, and of those the greatest rate of increase is found among men age 50 and older. This group is the target market for the erectile dysfunction drug manufacturers, and also the age bracket for the study.

In general, Viagra melanoma lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

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