So the drug company went with it, giving it the brand name Viagra and the rest is history. Now sildenafil might have another use preventing the metastasis of cancer cells, according to a new study published in Cancer Research. Read more: “Can Cancer Be Treated by Changing Its Cells?” AdvertisementThe team also looked at 20 years of health records from more than 40,000 male cancer patients ages 35 to 65. Those who had filled prescriptions for sildenafil before getting a cancer diagnosis had a 26 percent higher survival rate five years out.