Studies Show Increased Melanoma Risk for Men Taking Viagr

Studies published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicate that men taking Viagra for erectile dysfunction face an increased risk of melanoma, the most serious kind of skin cancer.

Viagra users have almost twice the risk of developing melanoma, CBSMiami reports. This association was seen in data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up (HPFS), a study begun in 1986 to evaluate a series of hypotheses about men’s health. The study followed 25,000 male health care professionals for ten years, tracking which men developed melanoma and whether they used Viagra (sildenafil).

Men who were using Viagra or had ever taken the drug faced the higher risk. The researchers note that their findings should not be taken to mean that Viagra causes melanoma, but the research revealed a statistical association between Viagra use and melanoma. Erectile dysfunction itself was not linked to increased risk.

According to dermatologist Brian Horvath, “It may be that people who take Viagra are more likely to be out in the sun or more active in some way.” But the risk of other skin cancers did not increase among Viagra users, which would be expected if sun exposure was a factor, Dr. Horvath said, CBSMiami reports. Because only the melanoma risk increased, Horvath said, this leaves open the question of whether the drug is the cause.

Viagra affects certain cell signals, similar to signals that allow melanoma cells to spread. Horvath explained that Viagra blocks the enzyme phosphodiesterase and “most melanomas have a mutation that also blocks that enzyme.” At the time the study began, Viagra was the only FDA-approved erectile-dysfunction medication. Other drugs in the class PDE5 inhibitors have since come on the market, including Cialis (tadalafil), Levitra (vardenafil), and Stendra (avanafil). They work in the same way Viagra does, blocking phosphodiesterase, therefore a similar pattern of melanoma risk may be seen with the newer erectile dysfunction drugs as well.

Because melanoma can grow and spread quickly and is deadly when it spreads, Dr. Horvath advises men who are thinking about using Viagra to have a baseline skin check before starting the medication. To men who have already had a melanoma, Horvath says, “I would be cautious about taking Viagra in the future.” According to the American Academy of Dermatology, someone who has had a melanoma has a five times higher risk of having another melanoma.

Another study on the issue, which also appeared in the Journal of American Medical Association, attributed the increase in malignant melanoma to socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. The researchers suggest that men with higher incomes who are able to take vacations in the sun and can afford expensive ED medications have a higher chance of developing skin cancer.

 

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