But that's not necessarily their only course. Doctors at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center offer several options to treat the disease effectively, and are recommending dietary supplements and certain foods that may have a favorable effect. More than 200,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and 40,000 men will die from the disease. It is second only to lung cancer as the leading cancer killer in men. Along with the common occurrence of prostate cancer, there likewise seems to be a common misconception about treating it, says Mark Moyad, M.P.H., complementary health counselor for Urologic Oncology at the University of Michigan Health System.
Patients immediately assume surgery is the only option.
Yes, there is the traditional form of surgical treatment. But there are also two types of radiation that can be used in combination with surgery or stand on their own. And other options include freezing the prostate, which was recently approved by the FDA, as well as watchful waiting. The length of time an individual watches the progression of their disease with out proceeding with other treatment is based on the individual's age and rate of progression of their disease. Along with the traditional forms of treatment, Moyad says, individuals can employ complementary medicine approaches in conjunction with whatever conventional routes their doctors and they choose.