Viagra is known to be a medicine that is used for treating erectile dysfunction. However, researchers are now exploring whether its active ingredient, sildenafil, could have another important use: helping stop the spread of cancer. A new study has found that sildenafil may interfere with the process that allows cancer cells to move from the original tumour to other parts of the body, which is known as metastasis. Since metastasis is responsible for most cancer-related deaths, researchers are looking to find new ways to prevent it.
While the findings are exciting, experts stress that this research is still in its early stages. Most of the studies have been carried out in laboratory models, and much more research, including human clinical trials, is needed before sildenafil can be used as a cancer treatment. Since the drug is already approved for other medical conditions, researchers believe it could potentially be repurposed faster if future studies confirm its benefits.
What Did The New Study Find?
The study, published in the journal Cancer Research, found that sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor, reduced the ability of cancer cells to spread in several mouse and human cancer models. Instead of directly killing cancer cells, the drug appeared to make it harder for them to migrate to distant organs.
Researchers found that sildenafil caused cholesterol to become trapped inside structures called lysosomes within cancer cells. This reduced the amount of cholesterol available for the cells to use, making it more difficult for them to move and invade other tissues.
Why Is Stopping Metastasis So Important?
Many cancers can often be treated successfully when they remain in one place. The real danger starts when cancer cells break away from the original tumour and spread through the blood or lymphatic system to other organs such as the lungs, liver or brain.
This spread, known as metastasis, is much harder to treat and is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. A medicine that can slow or prevent metastasis could improve survival and make existing cancer treatments more effective.
How Does Sildenafil Work?
Sildenafil blocks an enzyme called PDE5. It is commonly used to improve blood flow in people with erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. In the new study, however, researchers found an entirely different effect. By blocking PDE5, sildenafil disrupted how cancer cells handled cholesterol. Since cancer cells need cholesterol to build new cell membranes and move through the body, limiting its availability helped to reduce their ability to spread. This suggests the drug may influence cancer cells through metabolic changes rather than simply affecting blood flow.
Could This Become A New Cancer Treatment?
There is a possibility for that, but not yet. Scientists say sildenafil is unlikely to replace standard cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy. Instead, it may one day be used alongside these treatments to reduce the risk of cancer spreading.
One advantage is that sildenafil has already been used safely for many years for approved medical conditions. This means researchers already understand much about its safety profile, which could help speed up future clinical research if the results continue to be positive.
Speaking to Healthline, Samah Hayek, MD, senior epidemiologist at the Clalit Research Institute in Israel and a co-author of the study, “We evaluated the association between pre-cancer diagnosis use and overall survival across a large cohort of cancer patients rather within specific cancer types. Therefore, we cannot conclude whether the association is stronger for one cancer than another.”
Hayek said, “Our retrospective analysis included mainly men because sildenafil is predominantly prescribed to men. As a result, we cannot determine from our clinical data whether a similar association would be observed in women.”
Are There Any Limitations?
Yes, the current findings come mainly from preclinical studies involving laboratory experiments and animal models. Results seen in mice do not always translate to humans. Researchers still need to determine:
- Which types of cancer respond best
- What dose would be effective for cancer patients
- Whether long-term use is safe in people with cancer
- Whether sildenafil works well when combined with existing cancer therapies
Only carefully designed human clinical trials can answer these questions. Until then, sildenafil should not be considered a cancer treatment. However, the study provides important insights on the ability of viagra to prevent the spread of cancer.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
