Viagra is a blue-coloured medicine that has been widely used for more than two decades, mainly by men to treat erectile dysfunction and improve sexual performance.
However, researchers have been investigating whether the drug could have another potential medical benefit—helping to prevent cancer from spreading to other parts of the body.
According to reports by Nas Daily, Prof. Ayelet Erez, a cancer researcher who has worked in the field for 20 years at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and her team conducted research to investigate the possible connection between Viagra and cancer.
The researchers first carried out experiments using mice, with results that they considered promising enough to warrant further investigation. With the help of CLALIT, a major healthcare organisation, they also analysed health records of 5 million of citizens over a period of 20 years.
They compared cancer patients who had taken Viagra with those who had not and found an association suggesting that some patients who had taken the drug lived longer.
After the experiment, Professor Erez concluded that for cancer to spread, it requires cholesterol, and therefore Viagra works completely opposite by blocking cholesterol, hence restricting the spread of cancer.
According to Erez, cancer treatment should also involve a holistic approach that considers medicine, nutrition, supplements and lifestyle.
We need holistic medicine, what you eat and supplement and how you live. All these matters on how we will treat you,” she said.
According to reports from Nas Daily, Viagra is not a cure for cancer, so people should not try to use it at home as a cancer treatment.
However, the findings are a great sign that the drug could be extremely safe and may potentially help many cancer patients in the future.
