For men living in Western societies, prostate cancer may seem inevitable. Although it's relatively uncommon in men under 45, by age 80, between 70 and 90 percent of American men have it. In fact, it's the most common type of cancer in men. The average age of diagnosis is 72.

Of course, you can't change your age. You also can't alter your family history (if your father, brother, or son had prostate cancer, your risk is higher) or race (prostate cancer is more prevalent among African Americans). But growing evidence suggests that you can dramatically reduce your risk of this cancer—and slow its progression if you already have it—simply by making moderate changes in your diet. It's worth noting that in Asian countries, where consumption of soy, fish and produce is high and red meat and dairy consumption is low, rates of prostate cancer are more than 10 times lower than in Western countries, where plates are filled with red meats and fatty dairy foods.

The good news is that most prostate cancers are slow growing. In fact, with early detection, many doctors just take a wait-and-see approach rather than attacking the cancer immediately. The trick is careful monitoring. Screening tests used include the PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test and digital rectal exams.

But why sit back and wait for trouble to happen? By improving your diet, you can take a big step toward delaying the cancer's development or inhibiting its growth. In other words, by eating more foods like tomatoes and broccoli, you can make prostate cancer something you live with rather than die from.