But that's changing with new advances that are already available to cancer patients in our area.

When 67-year old Patrick Holmes needed surgery at Providence Everett for colon cancer, his doctor suggested something different -- laparoscopic surgery.

The benefits of laparoscopic surgery have been around for years, but not for colon cancer, because there was a risk of spreading the cancer.

Now, after 4 1/2 years of trials, the methods have been improved.

"But the bottom line is that they are cured of cancer to the same degree than anyone undergoing an open surgery and bigger incision would be," said Dr. Robert Michaelson.

The New England Journal of Medicine just released a study that says not only is laparscoptic surgery as safe for colon cancer patients, it has major advantages.

"As a result of the smaller incisions, they have less pain," Dr. Michaelson said. "As a result of less pain, they have a shorter hospital stay, and a quicker return to normal activities."

The laparscoptc surgery is done through a tiny incision less than an inch long.

The resulting hospital stay is a couple of days. The recovery time is a couple of weeks.

In traditional surgery, the stay is a week and the recovery time can take two months.

"The operation was on a Monday. I went home on Wednesday noon, and by the next weekend I felt fine," Holmes said. "I was just walking -- in fact I was trotting. I was so happy."

Next week, Dr. Michaelson will begin training other surgeons in the laparscoptic procedure. He expects with in a year, the number of doctors performing it will be widespread, and so will colon cancer patients who benefit from the advantages.

Other countries have started using lararoscopic surgery on colon cancer patients, including China, Germany and Spain, after their own studies found it safe.