En Español
Viagra has given millions of men a new lease on life, and its manufacturer, Pfizer, has made billions of dollars from the revolutionary erectile dysfunction drug. Unfortunately, there’s a darker side to Viagra that Pfizer doesn’t want you to know about. Viagra has been linked to melanoma, a deadly skin cancer. If you have taken Viagra and developed melanoma, we can help you.
At John Foy & Associates, we have built our career fighting for people who have been injured, including people injured by drugs whose manufacturers didn’t test them properly or warn the public of the risks. We’ve been closely watching developments in the link between Viagra and skin cancer, and we’d like to hear about your case. Let us give you a free consultation to discuss your condition, answer your questions, and talk about your options. Call us at 404-400-4000 and get your free consultation today.
What exactly does Viagra do?
Viagra is an erectile function drug that also goes by the generic name sildenafil. It is taken in pill form and is part of a class of drugs known as phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors. Other popular PDE-5 inhibitors include Cialis and Levitra.
Viagra works by making sure the penis gets a strong enough blood flow to create and maintain an erection. The penis has two chambers, known as corpora cavernosa, which include a network of blood vessels. When a man is sexually stimulated, the body releases nitric oxide into those chambers, and this in turn activates the enzyme cyclic guanosine monophosphate, or cGMP. When cGMP is activated, muscles and blood vessels relax. The relaxed blood vessels get wider, allowing blood to rush in. This increased blood flow results in an erection.
PDE-5 is an enzyme that can decrease the effect of cGMP, making it harder to have an erection. Viagra’s role is to inhibit the PDE-5, allowing the cGMP to do its job. Viagra’s effects usually last about four hours.
What is Viagra supposed to be used for?
Viagra was approved by the FDA in 1998 and within weeks, more than 40,000 prescriptions had been written. The “little blue pill” sounded like a wonder drug that would enhance mens’ sex lives, and that’s exactly how Pfizer’s advertisements portrayed it. Millions of people have tried Viagra, whether they needed it or not.
But the fact is, Viagra isn’t meant for everybody. It is intended to treat a condition known as erectile dysfunction, or inability to maintain an erection and have sex. Erectile dysfunction can have many causes, some physical and some emotional, such as stress, anxiety, depression or relationship troubles. The physical causes of erectile dysfunction include:
- Heart and blood vessel conditions, including heart disease, clogged blood vessels (atherosclerosis) and high blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Being overweight
- Metabolic syndrome
- Smoking
- Sleep disorders
- Substance abuse
- Prostate cancer or enlarged prostate treatments
- Pelvic or spinal cord surgeries or injuries
In addition, erectile dysfunction can be a normal consequence of the aging process. Erectile dysfunction is not dangerous on its own, but it can be a symptom of an underlying health problem. And it can cause emotional damage in the form of lower self-esteem, embarrassment, relationship problems, stress and anxiety. It can make it difficult to have children.
Viagra is widely prescribed for erectile dysfunction and has been marketed as relatively safe. However, there are serious risks.
Is there a connection between Viagra and skin cancer?
In a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2014, Viagra use was linked to a doubled risk of developing melanoma. The conclusion was based on a study of 25,848 men who participated in a follow-up study at the Harvard School of Public Health. The authors cautioned that they were not sure how Viagra might cause melanoma.
Another study, in 2015, looked at 20,000 men from Sweden. Again, the men had higher rates of melanoma, but the study concluded that the melanoma might have resulted from lifestyle factors such as sun exposure.
In 2016, the FDA said it was evaluating the link between PDE-5 inhibitors like Viagra and melanoma. In addition, lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer for marketing a dangers drug and promoting it as safe when Pfizer knew or should have known about the skin cancer risks. As these lawsuits progress and more research is done, the exact link between Viagra and melanoma will become more clear.
What is melanoma?
Melanoma is a type of cancer that starts in skin cells known as melanocytes. Melanocytes are the cells that give you a suntan, by producing a brown pigment known as melanin. Melanin protects the deeper layers of your skin from the harmful effects of the sun. In general, the more sun exposure you get, the more melanin your body produces.
Melanoma develops when something goes wrong with the melanocytes. When the DNA in the cells becomes damaged, new cells may grow rapidly and out of control, creating a cancerous mass. Melanomas are most common in parts of your body that are exposed to the sun, and they are less common in dark skinned people than in light skinned ones.
Melanoma can spread beyond the skin. If it has not yet spread, it can be treated by removing the melanoma. But if it has spread, then surgery, radiation or chemotherapy may be necessary. Melanomas are a serious and scary type of skin cancer, and they can be fatal. Yet Pfizer continues to promote Viagra as a reliable and relatively safe drug.
Talk to a Viagra Skin Cancer Lawsuit Lawyer
At John Foy & Associates, we don’t want to let drug companies get away with putting profits ahead of patient health. If you have taken Viagra and developed skin cancer we’d like to help you recover money for your loss – and we won’t charge you anything unless we win money for you. Let us put our 20 plus years of medical injury experience to work for you, starting with a free consultation. Call us at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to your right and get your FREE consultation today.
