Does Sildenafil (Commonly Known by Its Brand Name Viagra) Increase the Risk of Skin Cancer (Malignant Melanoma)?

A study published last week found that the risk of malignant melanoma, a rare and potentially fatal type of skin cancer, was nearly twice as high in men who took Viagra compared with those who did not.

How might Viagra, which is increasingly used among men to get some support in the bedroom and is also known as the little blue pill, increase the risk of malignant melanoma, a potentially fatal type of skin cancer? It was known that Viagra and malignant melanoma affect the same genetic pathway at the cellular level. A series of molecular mechanisms responsible for cell proliferation are similar in melanoma cells and in Viagra, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. The mitogen-activated protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways play an important role in the proliferation of melanoma cells and in the survival of these cells. Sildenafil (Viagra®) is a phosphodiesterase 5A inhibitor frequently used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. Recent studies have shown that activation of the mechanisms responsible for the malignant transformation and spread of melanoma cells reduces the levels of a specific enzyme (phosphodiesterase 5A) in a manner similar to Viagra. These reduced enzyme levels associated with Viagra use increase the activity of mechanisms that enable melanoma cells to become invasive.

This study, initiated in the United States in 2000, included 25.848 male health professionals who were known to be healthy up to that time. During their 10 years of follow-up, malignant melanoma was detected in 142 individuals and other skin cancers in 3610 individuals. While Viagra use was found to be associated with a nearly doubled risk of malignant melanoma, no such association was found between Viagra use and other skin cancers. On the other hand, erectile function itself was found not to be associated with melanoma risk. In addition, continuous Viagra use further increased the risk of malignant melanoma.

In conclusion, Viagra use may be associated with an increased risk of developing malignant melanoma. It would be incorrect to think that the use of Viagra will come to an end completely based on the early results of this single study. In the future, the results of this and subsequent studies will be translated into clinical recommendations, and the package leaflets for this group of drugs will contain warnings specifically about the risk of developing malignant melanoma.