Can Viagra cause skin cancer known as malignant melanoma? It is one of the deadliest skin cancers affecting the human race. This rare but serious form of cancer has been diagnosed more frequently among users of the erectile dysfunction (ED) medication known as Viagra. The study which first noted a connection between use of this vasodilator drug had its resulting data published in the April 2014 internal medicine edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

According to a blog associated with Harvard Medical School, the JAMA article concluded that Viagra users were a little over 80 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma over a ten year period of taking the medication than those not on the drug. However, as the blog author also points out, correlation doesn’t equal causation.

First of all, the study investigated a large group of men who self-reported taking the ED drug and noted that they were more often diagnosed with malignant melanoma than other men. The data merely establishes a connection or link between Viagra and the skin cancer that, as indicated by the blog, is worthy of continued investigation. It doesn’t answer the question, ‘Can Viagra cause skin cancer?’ with a definitive yes.

Risk Factors for Deadly Skin Cancer

As we investigate this question further, it is important to understand the general risk factors for deadly skin cancer and its key biases. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), melanoma tends to have an age and gender bias overall.

Since older men are most likely to be affected by ED and men over 50 have a higher risk than women for melanoma, it’s important not to be overly dramatic about the study’s results. In a separate ACS article about melanoma statistics, 2019 estimates place nearly an 18,000 person spread between men and women expected to be diagnosed this year—with men at the high end. This estimate is 57,220 males to 39,260 female.

When other risk factors an individual may have coincide with advanced age and gender, a visit with the prescribing doctor may be warranted. The ACS indicates that having fair skin which freckles or burns with Ultra-Violet (UV) light exposure and blue or green eyes also puts an individual in a higher risk category.

In the U.S. Caucasians are 20 times more likely to experience a melanoma diagnosis than African-Americans. Spoken in basic terms, the risk for whites is 1 in 38, while the risk for African Americans is 1 in 1,000. For Hispanics, the risk boils down to approximately 1 in 172.

A family history of melanoma also predisposes a person to develop the disease themselves. A prior personal history of having been diagnosed and gone into remission is also a key risk factor for recurrence. Genetic factors such as high mole count also play a role in determining if a patient will develop deadly skin cancer in his or her lifetime too. Melanoma often will first demonstrate its existence by changes to an existing mole.

Perhaps the question, ‘Can Viagra cause skin cancer?’ can best be answered with, ‘maybe, if you have other risk factors as well.’ In other words, based upon the connection in this study, it may be best to err on the side of safety. Certainly, discuss these findings with your physician and look into alternatives if you are concerned about Viagra and skin cancer.