A Viagra melanoma cancer lawyer can help men who were diagnosed with skin cancer after taking the drug. Lawsuits allege a link between the widely prescribed erectile dysfunction medication and the development of melanoma, which is an invasive and often fatal form of skin cancer. Affected men and their families are seeking compensation for injuries and death with the help of a Viagra cancer lawsuit attorney.
For more information, contact Attorney Group today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Viagra?
The prescription medicine Viagra is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that is used to treat erectile dysfunction. The generic term for the medicine is sildenafil, but there are other brand names that it can be marketed under.
There can be several serious side effects that accompany Viagra use, including:
- Problems with vision or hearing
- Uncontrollable blood pressure
- Heart problems, including attack and disease
- Stroke
- Bleeding disorders
- Disease of the liver or kidney
Taking Viagra with other medications and vitamins can also cause adverse effects to the patient. Viagra was reportedly bringing in over $1 billion in sales within a year of its 1998 launch. At the time, many of the more serious side effects were unknown. As use has continued, patients have reported problems such as sudden loss of hearing or vision and other complications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) responded by requiring Pfizer to add these warnings to the drug’s label. However, the agency has yet to issue the same requirement for the risk of melanoma.
Viagra and Melanoma
A study published in the June 2014 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested a connection between the use of Viagra and increased melanoma rates among male users. While other types of cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, have been studied and tested as well, the only correlation seems to be between melanoma and Viagra.
In order to comprehensively study the effect of Viagra on the various cancers, researchers included several different pieces of information, such as how often participants had used sildenafil, which brand of the medicine they used and whether or not simply suffering from erectile dysfunction increases the risk for melanoma. The results of the study showed an increased risk for melanoma with every use of the drug, but no increase of other types of cancers. It was also discovered that different brands of sildenafil affected patients equally.
In March 2016, an additional study by Swedish researchers was published in the journal Cell Reports. This group discovered that sildenafil inhibits certain enzymes from properly functioning in cells, debilitating the cell’s ability to combat the onslaught of melanoma.
Viagra Melanoma Lawsuits
Al.com news reports that across the country, 31 federal lawsuits have been filed. One man claims that he would have known to watch closely for signs of the disease had Pfizer adequately warned patients about the melanoma risks associated with the drug. He was diagnosed with the cancer nine months after he stopped using the prescription. Prior to that, he was on the drug for four years. There are several other cases just like this and, with 35 million men who were prescribed Viagra worldwide, additional cases are expected to be pursued.
How A Viagra Melanoma Lawyer Can Help
Drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are accompanied by full and accurate instructions and warnings to guide prescribing doctors and other health care providers in making treatment decisions. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
Patients who are injured by Viagra may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from complications after taking Viagra, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
Patients who have suffered severe side effects after taking Viagra, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the drug, are encouraged to seek the advice of an Viagra melanoma lawyer to learn more about their rights and remedies.
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For more information, contact Attorney Group. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
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