[loganmhb]

> One would think curing cancer ought to be amongst humanity's greatest concerted challenges.

One of the reasons "curing cancer" is so difficult is that cancer itself is not really one disease but many, with diverse causes and treatments. What works for one kind cancer doesn't work for another, so some kinds are fully curable and others unstoppable, with of course many in between. New research tends to chip away at variations of the disease without being able to cure it wholesale. If you're interested in the recent history of cancer and cancer medicine, the book "The Emperor of All Maladies" is a fascinating treatment of the subject.