Viagra May Lower Risk of Colon Cancer Death
- Retrospective study suggests men who take Viagra after colon cancer are 18% less likely to die.
- Viagra after open surgery for colon cancer was linked to a 39% reduction in risk of death.
- More research is needed to confirm the link between Viagra and colon cancer survival.
Those little blue diamonds that help many couples out in the bedroom – that’s right, Viagra – could also reduce the risk of death from colon cancer, according to a new study. Colon cancer is both the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death.
To conduct the study, researchers reviewed the medical records of 12,465 men with colon cancer and looked for a connection between those who happened to take Viagra after diagnosis and those who didn’t.
“This brings up an interesting question that should be tested in a prospective study [a study that watches patients moving forward rather than looking back at records],” Heather Yeo, MD, a colorectal surgeon who specializes in colorectal cancer, tells SurvivorNet.
Among the the 12,465 men who had stage I, II or III colon cancer, 1,136 had taken sildenafil (Viagra) at some point after their diagnosis. Reviewing four years and three months of medical records, the researchers found that those who had taken Viagra after their cancer diagnosis were 18% more likely to still be alive. Those who took Viagra after having open (versus laparoscopic) surgery for colon cancer were 39% more likely than those who didn’t to survive the four-year and 3-month study period.
Related: Immunotherapy Drug Keytruda Approved for Colon Cancer Patients with Specific Abnormalities
The study suggests that the anti-impotence drug could help prolong life for men with colon cancer. It raises the question of whether Viagra should be added to standard colon cancer treatment.
Dr. Heather Yeo Explains Treatment Options for Advanced Colon Cancer
How Viagra Might Help
People who have high levels of activity in a gene called PDE5A tend to have a higher risk of death if they get colon cancer. Viagra, which belongs to a class of drugs called PDE5 inhibitors, blocks the activity of this gene. So, researchers have theorized that the little blue pill might be an undiscovered anti-colon cancer agent. In fact, a couple of years ago, a study found that a small daily dose of Viagra prevented colon cancer in mice. Keep in mind, sometimes the results of mouse studies turn out to hold true in humans, and sometimes they don’t.
In the current study, the researchers hypothesize that Viagra may help restore the immune system after surgery suppresses it. The drug might also improve sensitivity to chemotherapy, the researchers speculate.
Dr. Heather Yeo Explains How the Pandemic Has Affected Colon Cancer Surgery
More Research Is Needed
But, retrospective studies do have some weaknesses. In this type of study, researchers comb records of events that have already happened and try to find an association between a particular behavior (e.g. taking Viagra) and a particular result (in this case, dying or not dying of colon cancer).
This type of study design can play into the inherent biases of the researchers. That is, if researchers are looking specifically for a relationship between Viagra use and colon cancer death, they may be more likely to see it and overlook other explanations.
Related: Could One Man’s Love of Processed Meat Have Caused His Colon Cancer?
“These associations are often confounded with things that aren’t studied,” says Yeo. “Those that take Viagra may be healthier to begin with. Men usually aren’t prescribed this medication if they have heart disease for example.”
This doesn’t mean that Viagra doesn’t improve colon cancer survival rates. But, it will take a large, randomized controlled trial — considered the gold standard in evaluating the effectiveness of a medical treatment — to prove it.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Viagra May Lower Risk of Colon Cancer Death
- Retrospective study suggests men who take Viagra after colon cancer are 18% less likely to die.
- Viagra after open surgery for colon cancer was linked to a 39% reduction in risk of death.
- More research is needed to confirm the link between Viagra and colon cancer survival.
Those little blue diamonds that help many couples out in the bedroom – that’s right, Viagra – could also reduce the risk of death from colon cancer, according to a new study.
Colon cancer is both the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death.
To conduct the study, researchers reviewed the medical records of 12,465 men with colon cancer and looked for a connection between those who happened to take Viagra after diagnosis and those who didn’t.
Read More “This brings up an interesting question that should be tested in a prospective study [a study that watches patients moving forward rather than looking back at records],”
Heather Yeo, MD, a colorectal surgeon who specializes in colorectal cancer, tells SurvivorNet.
Among the the 12,465 men who had stage I, II or III colon cancer, 1,136 had taken sildenafil (Viagra) at some point after their diagnosis. Reviewing four years and three months of medical records, the researchers found that those who had taken Viagra after their cancer diagnosis were 18% more likely to still be alive. Those who took Viagra after having open (versus laparoscopic) surgery for colon cancer were 39% more likely than those who didn’t to survive the four-year and 3-month study period.
Related: Immunotherapy Drug Keytruda Approved for Colon Cancer Patients with Specific Abnormalities
The study suggests that the anti-impotence drug could help prolong life for men with colon cancer. It raises the question of whether Viagra should be added to standard colon cancer treatment.
Dr. Heather Yeo Explains Treatment Options for Advanced Colon Cancer
How Viagra Might Help
People who have high levels of activity in a gene called PDE5A tend to have a higher risk of death if they get colon cancer. Viagra, which belongs to a class of drugs called PDE5 inhibitors, blocks the activity of this gene. So, researchers have theorized that the little blue pill might be an undiscovered anti-colon cancer agent. In fact, a couple of years ago, a study found that a small daily dose of Viagra prevented colon cancer in mice. Keep in mind, sometimes the results of mouse studies turn out to hold true in humans, and sometimes they don’t.
In the current study, the researchers hypothesize that Viagra may help restore the immune system after surgery suppresses it. The drug might also improve sensitivity to chemotherapy, the researchers speculate.
Dr. Heather Yeo Explains How the Pandemic Has Affected Colon Cancer Surgery
More Research Is Needed
But, retrospective studies do have some weaknesses. In this type of study, researchers comb records of events that have already happened and try to find an association between a particular behavior (e.g. taking Viagra) and a particular result (in this case, dying or not dying of colon cancer).
This type of study design can play into the inherent biases of the researchers. That is, if researchers are looking specifically for a relationship between Viagra use and colon cancer death, they may be more likely to see it and overlook other explanations.
Related: Could One Man’s Love of Processed Meat Have Caused His Colon Cancer?
“These associations are often confounded with things that aren’t studied,” says Yeo. “Those that take Viagra may be healthier to begin with. Men usually aren’t prescribed this medication if they have heart disease for example.”
This doesn’t mean that Viagra doesn’t improve colon cancer survival rates. But, it will take a large, randomized controlled trial — considered the gold standard in evaluating the effectiveness of a medical treatment — to prove it.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
