The death rate for cancer has barely changed since 1950, despite Richard M. Nixon's pledge to cure cancer in five years. Itis not just that cancer is a difficult disease. There also are systemic impediments to progress – a research system that awards the status quo, disincentives for patients and physicians to participate in research studies, a failure to promote the few methods that can prevent cancer, and a misleading perception that new drugs and leading cancer centers can cure almost any cancer.
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