A Washington man has joined numerous other product-liability complaints against Pfizer, alleging that he developed skin cancer on his scalp which spread to his cheek and chin. He claims he developed this melanoma skin cancer after using the company’s famous erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.

Plaintiff Harold T. filed his Viagra melanoma lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on July 10, 2015, claiming that Pfizer failed to warn him against the possible side effect of Viagra melanoma and did not disclose the risk on the drug’s label.

According to his Viagra melanoma lawsuit, Harold began using Viagra in 2004 to treat his erectile dysfunction. Trouble started in 2012, when he was diagnosed with melanoma of the scalp on the left temporal area, requiring surgical treatment. The cancer spread to his left cheek and his chin, which required him to undergo additional surgery. Even with the melanoma temporary resolved, Harold will have to undergo continuous dermatological tests to check for skin cancer.

Harold claims that Pfizer failed to protect him against the dangers of their product, and the he never would have taken Viagra if he knew the risk of melanoma or other skin cancers. Harold’s Viagra melanoma lawsuit brings charges of negligence, false advertising, misrepresenting a product, and concealing information. The Viagra lawsuit joins a number of other similar Viagra melanoma lawsuits working their way through the judicial system.

Overview of Viagra Melanoma

Pfizer released Viagra in 1998 to treat erectile dysfunction. It is arguably Pfizer’s most popular product, garnering billions in annual sales and having a large patient population. Erectile dysfunction and loss of libido function are very common in older men, so many men were ecstatic at the release of Viagra and the promise of discreetly treating their condition.

The concern over a link between Viagra and melanoma has been prevalent since 2011, when the medical journal Cancer Cell published a study describing how Viagra could encourage melanoma cell invasion. A year later, the Journal of Cell Biochemistry published another study with similar findings after observing that Viagra could make cells vulnerable to the spread of cancer. Yet another study published in 2014 in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that Viagra users had an 84 percent increased chance of developing melanoma when compared to men who did not use Viagra.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 69,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma each year. As the most devastating form of skin cancer, it is normally diagnosed when unusual moles or skin lesions appear. While it is curable if caught at an early stage, it can quickly become deadly when the cancer spreads into the lymph nodes. It is easy to understand why patients and doctors alike are becoming increasingly wary of Viagra, and why men who have suffered melanoma after taking Viagra are considering legal action against Pfizer.