{"id":9756,"date":"2017-06-12T08:00:25","date_gmt":"2017-06-12T08:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/?p=9756"},"modified":"2017-06-13T19:52:55","modified_gmt":"2017-06-13T19:52:55","slug":"theres-no-viagra-melanoma-link-study-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/erectile-dysfunction\/viagra\/theres-no-viagra-melanoma-link-study-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"There’s No Viagra-Melanoma Link, Study Shows"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Viagra\"
Men who take Viagra once again can enjoy the sun now that studies have cast doubt on earlier claims that the little blue pill increased the risk of melanoma.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Men who\u2019ve been steering clear of Pfizer\u2019s iconic little blue pill because of a 2014 study that found a possible link between Viagra and an increased risk of melanoma now can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Findings from a recent meta-analysis of data from multiple studies appear to have knocked down the significance of any such association.<\/p>\n

The study that triggered concern about a possible link between the use of sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, and a higher risk of melanoma was published in the June 2014 issue of \u201cJAMA Internal Medicine,\u201d<\/a> a professional journal of the American Medical Association. That study, conducted by a team of dermatology and epidemiology researchers, looked at the incidence of skin cancers, including melanoma, among a cohort of nearly 26,000 men.<\/p>\n

Various Skin Cancers Diagnosed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over a 10-year period, researchers found 142 cases of melanoma, 580 cases of squamous cell skin cancer, and 3,030 cases of basal cell carcinoma. Focusing primarily on melanoma, the most virulent form of skin cancer, the research team concluded that the risk of developing the skin cancer was higher among men who had used sildenafil citrate.<\/p>\n

In the conclusion to their study, researchers hedged their bet to some degree by noting that the study was \u201cinsufficient to alter clinical recommendations.\u201d However, they did suggest that further studies be conducted to establish or refute their tentative findings of a link between sildenafil use and a higher risk of melanoma.<\/p>\n

Latest Review More Comprehensive<\/strong><\/p>\n

The more recent review of relevant studies was far broader in scale than the 2014 study, analyzing data from three case-control studies and two cohort studies that collectively covered 866,049 men who used or had recently used one of the oral ED drugs, such as sildenafil. The meta-analysis was published in the May 19, 2017, issue of the \u201cJournal of the National Cancer Institute.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

While the meta-analysis of data did detect a somewhat higher incidence of melanoma among men who used ED drugs, it ascribed this higher rate of the skin cancer to \u201cdetection bias.\u201d As explained by writer Robert Preidt in an article posted at HealthDay.com<\/a>, this bias is accounted for by the heightened health consciousness of ED drug users and their tendency to consult with their doctors more frequently than men not taking ED drugs. As a result, their melanoma or other forms of skin cancer were much more likely to be detected than would be the case among less health-conscious men.<\/p>\n

Melanoma Is Deadliest Skin Cancer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although protection against all forms of skin cancer is essential, melanoma is by far the most deadly form of all skin cancers. According to the American Cancer Society<\/a>, more than 87,000 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in Americans during 2017. Of these, 52,170 cases will be diagnosed in men and 34,940 in women. The ACS also reports that melanoma-related deaths in 2017 are projected to total 9,730, of which 6,380 will be men and 3,350 women.<\/p>\n

Urologist Stacy Loeb, M.D., lead author of the data review, stressed the importance of continuing careful screenings for melanoma but said that doctors \u201cdo not need to add the use of Viagra and similar drugs to the list of screening criteria specifically.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some Are at Greater Risk<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the Melanoma Research Foundation<\/a>, roughly 90 percent of all cases of the skin cancer can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet rays from both natural — sunlight — and artificial (indoor tanning beds) sources. As previously noted, the most recent scientific evidence refutes the existence of a causal link between the use of oral ED drugs, including Viagra, and the risk of melanoma. According to MRF, you are at a higher risk of developing melanoma if at least five of the criteria listed below apply to you:<\/p>\n