ATLANTA -- Chris Reynolds' job is to focus on the financial health of his clients. But late 2008, the financial planner and single father was forced to focus on his personal health.

Doctors diagnosed Reynolds with prostate cancer at the age of 51.

"I still feel very blessed because we were able to catch it very early," Reynolds said.

Like most cancer patients, Reynolds immediately began to research his options.

"They don't really tell you what's the correct course of action, they just say 'you can do this, this or this," he said.

Conventional prostate cancer therapies include surgery, radiation or cryotherapy -- but there's another that many doctors won't tell you about.

"There was a final option that you normally wouldn't find in the United States and that was HIFU," Reynolds said.

HIFU stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound.

Atlanta urologist Dr. Vahan Kassabian performs the procedure in Canada.

"It's literally taking ultrasound energy and focusing it to a very pinpointed area and killing the cancer by creating heat," Kassabian explained.

"That caught my attention quickly because it didn't involve surgery and it didn't involve radiating my body," Reynolds said.

HIFU is currently in clinical trials in the U.S. FDA approval is expected sometime in 2011. In the meantime, men who want the treatment must travel abroad to places such as Europe, Mexico or Canada.

According to Reynolds, the one-time, out-patient procedure was well worth the trip.

"You're out for three or four hours, you're in recovery, then you go back to your hotel, then we flew home the next day," he said.

The success and recurrence rates are similar to alternative procedures, but with HIFU, there's less chance of negative side effects like erectile dysfunction or incontinence.

"Somebody who is especially young, active and sexually active and wants to remain so, I think the side effect profile is excellent with this," Kassabian said.

Reynolds left Canada cancer-free and returned to the office just a few days later.

"I almost feel guilty to say that I've been through a cancer procedure and it was so benign -- not to use the word frivolously, but it really was not that tough of a thing to go through at all," Reynolds said.

Another advantage of HIFU is that it can still be an option if the cancer should return -- even after radiation.

So, why don't all men with prostate cancer get HIFU? It's expensive -- $25,000 -- and many insurance companies won't cover the procedure because it's not yet approved in the United States.

But once it is, doctors may eventually use it to treat other cancers including brain and breast cancer.

Click here for more information on HIFU.