Pfizer was hit with a Viagra lawsuit by an Illinois man, alleging that the erectile dysfunction drug causes melanoma skin cancer.

Plaintiff Edward C. alleges in his Viagra skin cancer lawsuit that sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, not only impacts blood flow, it may also impact the skin. Edward alleges that he was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer following use of the popular little blue pill.

In the Viagra melanoma lawsuit against Pfizer, Edward alleges that the company failed to warn that Viagra may lead to melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. He was prescribed Viagra in 2008 to treat erectile dysfunction, but was diagnosed with melanoma in 2012.

Earlier this spring, medical researchers started looking at a connection between erectile dysfunction drugs and melanoma. Melanoma, like other skin cancers, is largely associated too much sun exposure, especially without sunscreen. But other factors can come into play, such as age and genetics.

Findings published by JAMA Internal Medicine found that taking Viagra increased men’s chances of developing melanoma by 84 percent versus those not taking the medication. A secondary observational study from Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data of nearly 26,000 men collected between 2000 and 2010. During that timeframe, more than 3,500 cases of Viagra skin cancer were reported by participants, 142 cases of which were melanoma.

As this connection was made public, Edward says that Pfizer should have known of the risks and shared that knowledge with patients. While doctors say the findings aren’t enough to stop prescriptions, they do suggest that individuals with a history of melanoma check with their doctors about the safety of Viagra for them.

Edward adds in his Viagra skin cancer lawsuit that had he known of the skin cancer risks he would not have used the drug.

Viagra and Melanoma Risk

Melanoma is the skin cancer most likely to spread, and is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It’s hypothesized that “Viagra lowers levels of a cancer-fighting protein called PDE5A” in turn affecting the same genetic pathway that is associated with increased invasiveness in melanoma cells.

Unlike moles, skin cancer can invade nearby normal tissue or can spread throughout the body. Named for the type of cells that become malignant, or cancerous, the three most common types of skin cancer are:

• Melanoma (in the skin and pigment cells)
• Basal cell (basal cell layer of the skin, usually in areas exposed to the sun)
• Squamous cell (in squamous cells, so often found in areas not exposed to sun in dark-skinned individuals, or exposed to sun in light-skinned individuals)

While melanoma is rare, it causes the majority of skin cancer deaths. Cancer.org points out that the rates for melanoma have been rising for the past 30 years. It is responsible for close to 9,700 deaths a year in the United States, but when discovered early, it is often curable.

According to the American Cancer Society, of the almost 3.5 million cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year, 76,000 of those are melanoma. The risks for melanoma increase with age.

Of the cases disgnosed annually, the greatest rate of increase is found among men age 50 and older. This group is also the target market for Pfizer and other erectile dysfunction drug makers.