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CHARLOTTE – One in six men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. One in 35 will die from it. But now some men are planning trips abroad for a high tech cancer treatment that promises fewer side effects and rapid recovery.

Bob Cabaniss, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, said his cancer was cured with sound waves with a technique called High Intensity Ultrasound Technology.

With HIFU, small amounts of tissue are heated to kill cancerous cells, literally boiling the cells until they are destroyed.

“It’s a lot of technology for a very simple concept to get heat into a small area in a big amount,” Dr. Samuel Peretsman, of Urology Specialists of the Carolinas, said.

In the meantime, patients travel outside the country for the treatment.

“I went into the actual room where I had the procedure and about two hours later, I walked out and went back to the hotel,” Cabaniss said.

With HIFU, ultrasound is delivered into the prostate gland. There’s no incision, no exposure to radiation, no blood loss and it’s performed under local anesthesia.

There are three treatment zones from top to bottom, and two zones from side to side. The physician uses the Sonoblate 500, a tool for HIFU, to control the treatments and customize them for each patient.

“Basically you are putting the energy of a 2,000 watt light bulb in a half inch area,” Peretsman said.

Traditional treatment for prostate cancer includes surgery or radiotherapy. But with HIFU, there are fewer side effects, including lower levels of incontinence, no bowl problems and lower levels of impotence.