AUGUSTA, GA (KPNX) — Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University said Viagra cut the development of colon cancer by half in mice and may do the same for humans.
Dr. Darren Browning with the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University said the finding comes after a decade of research.
“The effect on colon cancer prevention of these drugs is really exciting and we can’t wait to get into patients in a clinical trial,” Dr. Browning said..
When tested on mice, a small dose of the active ingredient in Viagra, sildenafil, cut the formation of polyps by half. These abnormal clumps of cells in the lining of the intestines can become cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the US.
“We all in the United States have a relatively high risk,” Browning explained. “Our risk of developing the disease ourselves is about one in 20 for men, a little bit higher, and one in 25 for women.”
The next step is a clinical trial for patients who are at the highest risk for developing colorectal cancer, including those with inflammatory bowel disease, polyps or a family history of colon cancer. The trial should come within the next couple years.