June 24, 2015 — A new study has found that men who take Viagra are 21% more likely to develop malignant melanoma (aggressive skin cancer), but researchers believe the increased risk is due to lifestyle factors and not a causal relationship between the drug and disease.
The conclusions of the study were based on data from over 20,000 men in Sweden. Between 2006 and 2012, over 4,065 of them were diagnosed with melanoma. Of these men, 435 had used a drug for erectile dysfunction, such as Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenafil), or Cialis (tadalafil).
Men on these drugs had higher rates of melanoma, but there was no dose-relationship — meaning higher doses of Viagra were not associated with higher rates of melanoma.
Researchers decided that the increased risk was more likely due to the fact that men who can afford Viagra can also afford more sunny vacations. Sun exposure is the biggest risk-factor for melanoma.
The conclusions were published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and researchers warned:
“What our study results show is that groups of men who are more likely to get malignant melanoma include those with higher disposable incomes and education—men who likely can also afford more vacations in the sun—and who also have the means to buy erectile dysfunction medications, which are very expensive.”
This is not the first time Viagra has been linked to melanoma. Last year, a study published in the JAMA found an 84% increased risk of melanoma among men who had recently used Viagra. Click here to read more.
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