Viagra Linked to Melanoma (Skin Cancer) It Was Formerly Prescribed to Treat

Washington, DCWith conflicting research regarding drugs such as Viagra, no wonder health professionals can barely keep pace with drug alerts and warnings. Just four years ago doctors were prescribing Viagra to treat melanoma and now research indicates that the “little blue pill” may actually cause skin cancer!

In 2011, researchers suggested that sildenafil (Viagra is the brand name) “may contribute to achieving better treatment results in malignant melanoma” after testing mice that develop a skin cancer similar to human melanoma. Professor Dr. Viktor Umansky, immunologist at DKFZ and University Medical Centre Mannheim (Germany) and his team studied chronic inflammation caused by malignant melanoma (Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week via NewsRx.com. November 2011).

The results of this study were no doubt great news for Pfizer. The Viagra maker in 2012 reported that its blockbuster drug brought in $2 billion in sales. Just two years later, Pfizer might be setting aside some of its profits to settle lawsuits claiming that the company failed to warn consumers about the potential risk of melanoma from Viagra.

The message from researchers in 2014 is the polar opposite of the 2011 study: About 76,100 new melanoma cases were expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2014, and about 9,710 people will die, including about 6,470 men, according to the American Cancer Society. Melanoma in men is on the rise, as were Viagra sales.

A 2014 study published in Journals of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine (April 16, 2014) found that Viagra nearly doubles men’s risk of the deadly melanoma. Researchers from the Harvard Medical School have found that the risk of developing melanoma is twice as high among those elderly men who are taking Viagra. After this study was published, doctors were advised to carry out cursory skin cancer checks for patients before prescribing Viagra. In fact, anyone who has taken Viagra should be checked.

Sandra’s husband was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Melanoma and told he had just months to live. That was two years ago. In her complaint, Sandra (not her real name) said her husband never had outward signs of melanoma and the primary source of his disease was never determined. After enduring several rounds of radiation, several instances of stereotactic radiotherapy, a number of surgeries and immunotherapy drugs, there are no more treatments left. He is 64 years old.

Sandra said he started to have back pains and was misdiagnosed with “arthritis” for several months until he could no longer walk, sit, stand or lay down for more than 10 minutes at a time. An MRI revealed tumors near his lower spine, and after many more scans and tests, he was diagnosed with melanoma.

Just two years ago they were looking forward to the “golden years” but melanoma forced him to take early retirement. They had to sell their house for physical reasons (stairs and too much upkeep) and also for financial reasons. A Viagra lawsuit may help with the latter reason.