A retrospective study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in April of 2014 suggests a statistically significant link between the use of Viagra and the development of melanoma. This study, which was entitled "Sildenafil Use and Increased Risk of Incident Melanoma in US Men," followed a group of 25,848 men who used Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction. None of the men included in the group reported cancer at the beginning of the study.
Every two years, the men in the study reported whether they developed skin cancer, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, on questionnaires that were collected for analysis. Any diagnosis of melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma was then confirmed pathologically.
Results
The study identified 3,030 cases of basal cell carcinoma, 580 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 142 cases of melanoma among the participants. Upon analysis, researchers found that the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma among members of the group was similar to that of the general population. The incidence of melanoma, however, was considerably higher among the men studied. According to the study:
"Recent sildenafil use at baseline was significantly associated with an increased risk of subsequent melanoma with a multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.84 (95% CI, 1.04-3.22). In contrast, we did not observe an increase in risk of SCC (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.59-1.20) or BCC (1.08; 0.93-1.25) associated with sildenafil use.... use of sildenafil was also associated with a higher risk of melanoma."
Not only did the study identify an association between the use of Viagra and the development of melanoma, but it also found that erectile dysfunction itself was not associated with a higher risk of melanoma. Only those men who took Viagra for their condition experienced an increased risk of cancer.
Furthermore, the researchers performed a secondary analysis, during which they excluded all men who reported a major chronic disease at the beginning of the study. The results still showed a strong association between the use of Viagra and the development of melanoma. Ultimately, the researchers stated that they "support a need for continued investigation of this association."
If you would like to explore the possibility of bringing legal action to obtain compensation for a melanoma related to Viagra usage, please contact the experienced attorneys at Marc Whitehead & Associates, LLP at (855)-423-3666 to discuss your options.
For more information regarding the link between Viagra and the deadly skin cancer Melanoma, please download a free copy of our e-book, Viagra, The Unvarnished Truth- How the Link between the Deadly Skin Cancer Melanoma and Viagra.