Drugs like Viagra May Decrease Colon Cancer Risk

A new Swedish study  finds drugs like Viagra may help prevent colon cancer in men as well as improve the prognosis of patients with the disease.

Research from Region Skåne and Lund University in Sweden found potency-enhancing drugs like sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra, can prevent colon cancer and keep it from spreading.

Viagra is one of many potency-enhancing PDE5 inhibitor drugs that have anti-cancer properties. Wuqing Huang, a Ph.D. student at Lund University, and his research colleagues studied data on how PDE5 inhibitors affect mice with colon tumors. They wanted to conduct a study on how the drug affected colon growth in humans.

Dr. Huang used national registers to identify Swedish males with colon cancer who also used PDE5 inhibitors. He found the risk of colon cancer death was reduced by 18 percent among patients who used potency-enhancing drugs. Furthermore, he found colon cancer was less likely to metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body, in patients who used PDE5 inhibitors.

How can Viagra and potency-enhancing drugs help prevent cancer growth and spreading? It seems that surgery can cause immune suppression, but Viagra and similar drugs help protect the immune system. Dr. Huang explains, “The results of our study suggest that the anti-cancer ability of PDE5 inhibitors might be related to regulating immunosuppressive effects. However, randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm our research findings before PDE5 inhibitors can be used as an adjuvant drug for men with colorectal cancer, as well as experiments that explore the underlying biological mechanisms.”

Prevent Colon Cancer with a Colonoscopy

Viagra and potency-enhancing drugs may have some benefit, but they are not sufficient to prevent colon cancer. The best way to prevent colon cancer is to eat a healthy diet, get regular exercise and schedule routine colon cancer screenings.

A colonoscopy is the most effective screening because it can prevent detect and prevent colon cancer. During a colonoscopy your gastroenterologist will examine the entire colon and can remove precancerous colon polyps so they do not develop into cancer.

Colon Cancer Symptoms to Know

Colon cancer incidence is increasing among young adults. American Cancer Society researchers found half of all new cases of colon cancer are in adults under the age of 66. We cannot continue to view colon cancer as a disease that only affects the elderly population.

No matter your age, you should familiarize yourself with the symptoms of colon cancer . These may include:

• Abdominal pain
• Cramping
• Rectal bleeding
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Anemia
• Unexplained weight loss

Often, colon cancer does not have any symptoms in the early stages, so talk to your doctor about when you should get screened for colon cancer. Most adults at average colon cancer risk should get a baseline screening at age 45 (or 40 for African Americans). However, family history and personal health history could place you in a higher-risk category.

Make an appointment with one of our San Antonio gastroenterologists to discuss your colon cancer risk. Your life could depend on it.