More than 76,000 total new melanoma skin cancer cases, and nearly 10,000 deaths from melanoma cancer, are projected to occur in the United States during 2014, according to the Federal Government. While the most common cause of melanoma is too much exposure the sun’s UV rays, another surprising risk factor may be lurking in your medicine cabinet.

Study Links Viagra to Increased Risk Of Melanoma

A recent study points out the use of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra may be associated with a dramatically increased risk of developing melanoma, a potentially deadly form of skin cancer.

These alarming new findings, reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), were based on a study of more than 25,000 American men conducted over nearly 10 years by researchers from Harvard, Brown and other leading universities and hospitals.

The JAMA study found that men who had used Viagra – even one time –were 84% more likely to develop melanoma skin cancers than non-users. The researchers took into account and ruled out other possible factors that might account for the dramatically higher incidence of melanoma – such as age, tobacco use, physical activity, etc. Men who had erectile dysfunction but did not use Viagra did not show an increased risk for melanoma.

Viagra is part of a class of drugs known as phosphodiesterase-5 (PDG5A) inhibitors. There are many other drugs in this class, including Cialis and Levitra. According to the study, treatment with Viagra may promote melanoma cell invasion. A number of product liability lawsuits have also alleged that Cialis and Levitra caused melanoma skin cancer.

How Does Viagra Cause Melanoma Cancer?

Physicians involved in the JAMA study explained that one of the key ingredients in Viagra, sildenafil, may be a trigger in promoting melanoma development. However, they have not yet established a direct cause. Viagra may increase the risks of melanoma because it affects the same genetic pathway that allows the skin cancer to become more invasive. That would make Viagra-related melanoma cancers even more dangerous.

What About Other ED Medications?

Although Viagra, manufactured by Pfizer, is the only ED medicine that contains the drug sildenafil, which was the subject of the recent study, other ED medications contain drugs that operate through bio-mechanisms having somewhat similar impacts, including PDG5A inhibitors.

Cialis is a drug marketed by Eli Lilly and its key ingredient is the drug tadalafil. Levitra contains the drug vardenafil and is manufactured by the German pharmaceutical manufacturer Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline. Those drugs, just as the sildenafil in Viagra, are also PDG5A inhibitors

Signs of Melanoma

Melanoma is a very serious and deadly skin cancer. Like most cancers, early detection and treatment provide the best survival rates. According to www.cancercenter.com, some signs of melanoma are:

• New spots/ freckles/ moles on the skin
• A change in size, shape or color of an existing mole
• Sores that do not heal
• Pigment, redness or swelling that spreads outside the border of a spot to the surrounding skin
• Itchiness, tenderness or pain
• Changes in texture or scales, oozing or bleeding from an existing mole

Viagra Melanoma Lawsuits

In light of the JAMA study and other consumer reports, hundreds of men may file Viagra melanoma skin cancer lawsuits or join Viagra skin cancer class action lawsuits. Cialis lawsuits and Levitra lawsuits may also be filed against other erectile dysfunction drug treatment manufacturers.