THE WAR on cancer—declared December 23, 1971, when then
President Richard M. Nixon signed the National Cancer Act—now is
in its third decade. Some of those involved say the United
States is winning this so-called war. By some estimates, the
federal government has spent as much as $22 billion on this
effort in the past 20 years. Win, Lose, or Draw? However, some
critics contend that this war is being lost. They argue that too
little change is being seen in death rates from many major
cancers (defined in terms of incidence and/or deaths
attributable), although one of the candidates in this year's
presidential race is a 9-year survivor of lymphoma.Still others
take the view that there indeed has been progress against some
cancers but less against others. Probably one of the few aspects
that can be agreed upon is that it is difficult to make year-to-
year comparisons because