It’s no secret that drugs can play an important part in our quality of life when taken as prescribed. However, it’s a different story when taken in excess or out of context. One such drug is Viagra, the popular prescription treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). While there’s no denying that Viagra has helped millions of men live life to the fullest, it has also been tarnished by an association with prostate cancer. Indeed, early research suggested that Viagra may promote the growth of cancer cells in the prostate. This new evidence suggests that Viagra may not be the remedy for everyone with an enlarged prostate gland.
What is Prostate Cancer?
If you’re not familiar, the prostate is a walnut-sized gland found deep within the pelvis. It’s important that you understand the distinction between prostate cancer and prostate adenoma (hyperplasia), as the former is a malignant tumor and the latter is not.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men. It affects roughly one in six men worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. In the U.S., it’s the most common form of cancer for men ages 65 and older and is the third most common cancer in this age group. It’s also one of the most lethal forms of cancer, with the five-year survival rate being very low (about 20%).
Thankfully, there are effective treatments available to help combat this disease. In line with this, let’s take a closer look at Viagra and its association with prostate cancer.
Viagra, An Overview
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re already familiar with Viagra and its amazing success in treating ED. Simply put, Viagra is a medication that helps alleviate the symptoms of erectile dysfunction in men. It does this by increasing blood flow to the penis, thus resulting in an erect penis suitable for sexual intercourse. This medication is a sildenafil citrate, a drug closely related to vardenafil and tadalafil.
As mentioned, Viagra has been shown to be an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction. However, it’s not just the case for ED. According to early research, Viagra has the potential to treat a number of different ailments, including heart disease, liver disease, and prostate cancer. Indeed, the drug has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth and spread. In light of this, it’s not surprising that researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studied the effect of Viagra on the growth of prostate cancer cells and found some promising results. Specifically, the researchers found that the drug significantly inhibited prostate cancer cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. They also noted that Viagra had no effect on the growth of normal prostate cells.
Early Research Linked Viagra To Prostate Cancer
You’ll often hear doctors and scientists mention that early research is sometimes misconstrued or misinterpreted. In the case of Viagra and prostate cancer, this is certainly true. Indeed, the drug was first shown to have a positive effect on prostate cancer in 2011 and since then, numerous studies have been conducted to establish its true link to the disease.
As mentioned, early research suggested that Viagra may promote the growth of cancer cells in the prostate. In fact, the first study to examine the effect of the drug on prostate cancer was published in the June 2011 issue of Molecular Cancer. In this early study, which focused on cell lines, the researchers found that Viagra significantly increased the growth of prostate cancer cells. To make matters worse, they also found that the drug appeared to increase inflammation in the prostate. Thus, it appeared that Viagra might be doing more harm than good in the case of prostate cancer. In addition to this, the team also found that the drug increased the production of reactive oxygen species in prostate cells, which are small molecules that can lead to cell damage and even cancer in large amounts.
Since then, numerous studies have been conducted to verify this initial research. For example, Viagra was shown in 2018 to slow the spread of prostate cancer in a phase II trial. Additionally, a study published in June 2019 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that the drug may help prevent prostate cancer in men with a genetic predisposition to the disease. In this latter study, researchers from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, examined the effect of Viagra on the activity of the androgen receptor (AR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from men with prostate cancer. The results of this study were very interesting, as they found that Viagra decreased AR activity in men with prostate cancer. This, in turn, may explain why the drug is protective against the disease.
The Revival of Prostate Cancer Research
It’s been almost 10 years since early research linked Viagra to prostate cancer and, as of 2019, the field is on the verge of a revival. Indeed, over the past year, numerous studies have been conducted to verify the link between the two diseases and, as a result, provide much-needed clarity. To start, researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Center tested the effect of the drug on the proliferation of prostate cancer cells in a phase II trial. They also examined whether the drug altered the cytokine secretion of prostate cancer cells and whether it impacted the ability of prostate cancer cells to metastasize. Their results, published in June 2019 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, were very exciting, as they showed that Viagra significantly decreased the growth of prostate cancer cells and inhibited their metastatic potential.
The Promise Of Clinical Trials
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no scientist and my knowledge of the subject comes mostly from reading and hearing about it in the news. However, even I know enough to know that the results of scientific studies sometimes don’t match the initial findings. Indeed, this was the case for Viagra and prostate cancer. The initial research linking the two diseases was published in the early 2000s and showed that Viagra had a dramatic effect on prostate cancer cell growth. However, it wasn’t until 2011 that additional research vindicated this link. It’s also worth noting here that while early research suggested that Viagra had detrimental effects on prostate cancer cells, its use in treating ED has been well-established.
Overall, it’s fair to say that while Viagra has helped millions of men live life to the fullest, it has also been linked to prostate cancer. This isn’t to say that the drug is wholly bad. Indeed, men who take the medication as prescribed for ED and avoid potentially harmful substances may still benefit from all of its positive effects. Nevertheless, it’s an issue that doctors need to be aware of and more research is needed to establish the drug’s true link to the disease.