A recent discussion has formed with results coming from a study published by an international team of doctors collectively working for health science under Harvard. In 1986 Harvard researchers (USA, China) began a lengthy study with a large group of men for health and skin care purposes. When Viagra hit the market in 2000 a total of 1,618 of the original group reported using the erectile dysfunction medication. The researchers maintained a questionnaire with the participants, whom would fill out the necessary information every two years. The results are the first of its kind, and scientists agree that more studies need to be done.
HPFS (Health Professional Follow-up Study) worked with thousands of men participating in the health study for more than two decades under the guidance of Harvard and Brown Universities. The aim of the study was to monitor long term effects, statistics, and health related issues of men as they age. As Viagra hit the market in 2000 the researchers included the erectile dysfunction drug in their questionnaire. One of the authors of this study, Dr. Abrar Qureshi (Chairman of the Dermatology Dept. at Brown University) told NBC news, “People who are on the medication (Viagra) and who have a high risk for developing melanoma may consider touching base with their primary care providers.” Dr. Qureshi made it very clear during his interview with NBC journalist, Jonel Aleccia that the study published in JAMA Internal Medicine journal was preliminary and based on patient findings, not in a controlled environment. On a cellular level there are similarities with how the drug, Sildenafil (Viagra) works in the human body with similar characteristics as melanoma when it spreads. This finding is informative, but does not catastrophically mean that every man who uses this male enhancement is at significant risk of skin cancer’s best friend, Melanoma. As Daniel Pendick, the Executive Editor for Harvard Men’s Health Watch reports:
Here are two truths about this work that you need to know.
- This study does not show that Viagra causes skin cancer. Instead, it shows that in a large group of men, those who said they used Viagra ended up being diagnosed more often with melanoma than those who didn’t use this drug. The study shows a connection, not a cause.
Even if Viagra does promote melanoma, the absolute increase is small.
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As more research is undergone and new findings are published the public will be able to determine their personal risk factor with their primary care physician’s help. There are many contributing factors involving melanoma such as; a predisposition to it through genetics, light or fair colored skin, freckle pigmentation, excessive exposure to the sun, and not enough skin protection. If you are actively using Viagra and have been diagnosed with Melanoma then you may have a defective drug claim. We look forward to what the bright scientists in the health field discover in the coming years related to this drug. The first study has been done with informative information but lacking the hard evidence of causation. It is a good idea to speak with an attorney and determine your potential claim as soon as possible. It is better to be safe, than sorry.
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