A recent study suggests a significant link between Viagra and the development of the deadliest form of skin cancer known as melanoma.

The Viagra study analyzed nearly 26,000 men, and found that those taking the erectile dysfunction medication had an 84 percent increased risk of developing melanoma when compared to non-users.

The Viagra melanoma study compared thousands of men using various control factors including family medical history and sun exposure. The research team further indicated that men had a 50 percent greater risk of developing Viagra melanoma despite their environment.

Other Viagra studies have suggested patients have an increased melanoma risk by taking just a single dose of the erectile dysfunction medication.

What is Viagra?

Nearly 30 million men in the United States cannot achieve or maintain an erection. Viagra is prescribed to almost half of them. Viagra was approved by the FDA in 1998 as a way to help men treat sexual dysfunction.

Erections require hormones, blood vessels, and nerves to work in sync with each other, so if one of these systems is off it can be difficult to achieve. Manufacturer Pfizer developed Viagra as a way to relax smooth muscle cells that allow arteries in the penis to dilate, therefore allowing blood to flow more easily.

Viagra Melanoma Skin Cancer

Viagra studies suggest that the ED medication acts in similar ways to gene activation within the body. Researchers believe that it is possible that Viagra generates the creation of melanoma cells, which leads to an increased risk of skin cancer.

An estimated 76,000 new cases of melanoma skin cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. last year alone. According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma is responsible for nearly 10,000 deaths in the U.S. annually.

With skin cancer, early detection is the key to a better survival rate. However, early melanoma symptoms are not always easy to detect. At first, patients may notice a mole that itches or feels painful, but as melanoma grows, patients will notice skin lesions growing from one-millimeter to more than four-millimeters thick.

If not caught early enough, melanoma skin cancer can spread to lymph nodes and internal organs. Those who examine their skin often have a greater chance of catching melanoma early.

Viagra Melanoma Lawsuits

A growing number of Viagra lawsuits continue to be filed across the U.S. alleging Pfizer’s failure to warn showed a callous and willful indifference to the health of consumers. Most plaintiffs claim that melanoma survivors will have to continuously monitor their skin, as they are nine times more likely to re-develop skin cancer for more than 20 years after the initial diagnosis.

In general, Viagra lawsuits allege that had plaintiffs been adequately warned of the risk of skin cancer, they would not have taken the medication.

In addition to lawsuits, Pfizer has also recently faced a growing amount of criticism from physicians, regulators, and consumer groups for their advertising campaigns. Many believe Pfizer appears to be targeting young men, which some of the medical community believes sends a confusing message to the public about the use of erectile dysfunction drugs.