西欧諸国や日本において最も多い死因の一つとして多くの人に恐れられているのが悪性新生物、つまり癌（がん）です。日本人の場合2人に1人が生涯で癌に罹患するとされており、直接的であれ間接的であれ、事実上すべての人に係わる問題です。治療法の開発へ向けて行われている努力や研究、未来の治療法についても見ていきながら、癌を取り巻く状況や治療法についても分析します。
   

• Explains, in non-technical language, what cancer is and what it does
• Uses examples of cancer healthcare from around the world
• Explores the political and economic context of cancer care
• Considers the future of cancer care, research, and breakthroughs in realising a cure

  
In 1961 John F. Kennedy pledged to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Nine years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Ten years later, Richard Nixon echoed this pledge by declaring a 'war' on cancer. More than 30 years later, however, cancer remains one of the largest causes of death worldwide, with around 1 in 3 developing the disease. Curing cancer is not 'rocket science', but the question is, why has cancer proved to be harder to tackle than the moon landings turned out to be? 
  
Cancer research is a major economic activity. There are constant improvements in treatment techniques that result in better cure rates and increased quality and quantity of life for those with the disease, yet stories of breakthroughs in a cure for cancer are often in the media. 
  
In this Very Short Introduction Nick James, founder of the CancerHelp UK website, examines the trends in diagnosis and treatment of the disease, as well as its economic consequences. Asking what cancer is and what causes it, he considers issues surrounding expensive drug development, what can be done to reduce the risk of developing cancer, and the use of complementary and alternative therapies.