A new study has found that Viagra together with flu vaccine could help treat cancer, the Daily Mail reported.
It allows for the immune system to attack tumor cells that are still around after surgery.
On a study conducted on mice suffering from lunge cancer, researchers saw a 90% reduction in the spread of the disease.
"Surgery is very effective in removing solid tumours," senior author Dr Auer, surgical oncologist and head of cancer research at The Ottawa Hospital, told the Daily Mail.
Adding, "However, we're now realizing that, tragically, surgery can also suppress the immune system in a way that makes it easier for any remaining cancer cells to persist and spread to other organs.
"Our research suggests that combining erectile dysfunction drugs with the flu vaccine may be able to block this phenomenon and help prevent cancer from coming back after surgery."
Soon, 24 human stomach cancer patients will participate in a clinical trial to test this combination. The trial will observe changes in the immune system and will asses safety of using the two together.
However, researchers warn cancer patients not to try and self-medicate with this mix themselves.
"Cancer immunotherapy is a huge area of research right now, but we're still learning how best to use it in the time around surgery,"lead author of the study Dr Lee-Hwa Tai, former postdoctoral fellow in Dr Auer's lab and now assistant professor at the Université de Sherbrooke, is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
