Advanced Colon Cancer Survival Rates Up

(WUSA)-- It is estimated that every year, 150-thousand people will be diagnosed with colon cancer. Gene Schultz was one of them. When he was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, doctors offered little hope. The disease had ravaged his colon and spread to his liver.

Schulz says, "My doctor informed me that, listen...you're looking at two months."

Schultz immediately had surgery, followed by chemotherapy. Now,almost four years later, he is doing well.

Gene says, "I have cancer, but I'm here."

New research finds Schultz is not alone. In the 1990's, patients with advanced colon cancer only survived an average of 14 months. Today, that number has more than doubled, with people living an average of 30 months. And about one out of three patients survive five years or more.

Dr. Scott Kopetz is with the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He says, "These are the patients who have an excellent quality of life, and were able to control the disease for a long period of time."

Researchers credit better surgical techniques that allow doctors to remove cancer more precisely,as well as a new line of chemotherapies that stop the disease from spreading.

Before the 1990's, doctors only had one drug to fight colon cancer. Since then, several new treatments have been developed. Oncologists expect even better drugs in the coming years.

Dr. Howard Hochster of NYU Langone Medical Center says, "An important message to the patient is that the longer they are with us, the greater the chances that there will be even more drugs that will be helpful to them."

Gene Schultz says, 'I'm 55 now. I never thought I'd make 60.... now I'm thinking 70 and 80 years old. I think this can be done."

Schultz's cancer is now treated like a chronic disease. He gets chemo every few months to keep the tumors in check. He may never be cured, but the drugs allow him to live with the disease.

It is important to mention that colon cancer is a slow-growing malignancy. With regular colonoscopies beginning at age 50, pre-cancerous polyps can be spotted and removed before they turn into cancer.

For more on early detection and screening guidelines from the American Cancer Society, click here.