NCSU women's basketball coach Kay Yow's perseverance in her ongoing battle with breast cancer is a testament to advances in treatment of the disease, say oncologists.

Related Story: NC State's Yow Won't Return For Rest of Season

Yow announced Tuesday that she is stepping down as coach because of her cancer. First diagnosed in 1987 at the age of 45, Yow had a recurrence in 2004. In 2006, she announced that the cancer was progressing.

Medical oncologist Dr. Alan Kritz, of Cancer Centers of North Carolina, said while breast cancer is still a fatal disease, many patients are living for years beyond their diagnosis because of advances in cancer care. Yow's determination to continue working for so long while undergoing treatment is a testament to the effectiveness of new medications for breast cancer.

"We are able to take breast cancer patients sometimes who we really didn't have much to offer when I started in this field 20 years ago, but now we have multiple things to work and buy time and give them good quality of time both on and off treatment," said Kritz.

Kritz said more effective chemotherapies, anti-hormone therapies that kill breast cancer cells, and new biologic agents, or "smart bombs" are among the treatments that have evolved in the last decade.

Hear more from Dr. Kritz about advances in breast cancer treatment by clicking on the video link above.

Watch NBC 17's report on reaction to Yow's decision to step down.