The long, slow battle against the scourge of cancer

Understanding of cancer and progress in treating it is like a big jigsaw, that is slowly filled in.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon launched a so-called war against cancer, including major legislation to improve research and responses.

In some respects, however, the problems with cancer are more apparent than they have ever been.

Society has made huge progress in many other causes of premature death, such as road accidents, which are now at a fraction of their peak levels in the 1960s and 1970s.

Cancer therefore is one of the biggest obstacles to some people living to the sort of old age that is becoming increasingly common across society.

Nonetheless, there has been significant progress against cancer in the last half century.

There is much greater awareness of the disease and much greater understanding of its causes.

Macmillan Cancer Support has produced a report that shows that people are on average twice as likely to survive a decade after a cancer diagnosis as they were in the early 1970s, when Mr Nixon was launching his initiative.

The figures are skewed by the fact that some of this is due to earlier diagnosis. The charity also says that people who do survive do not necessarily have a good quality of life.

We report today on Andrew Weir, who is the longest recipient of a bone marrow transplant, and who is urging people to sign up as potential organ and tissue donors.

His appeal deserves support.

Meanwhile, Stormont must press ahead with reform of NHS care in Northern Ireland and make savings on things such as inefficient hospital provision so that there is more money for something as important as cancer treatment.