ARE we really doing enough to find a cure to cancer?

I can't help but wonder this after writing the story of another person dying from cancer this week.

What made this story so much harder is I knew Peregian mum, Tracey McGovern, who died on Valentine's Day surrounded by those she loved.

I didn't know her well, we share a mutual friend, but a few years back we did a Cystic Fibrosis walk in Brisbane and we had so much fun together.

Only a few months later she was given her death sentence after they discovered terminal pancreatic cancer.

And even though she fought it valiantly, travelling to Mexico to try new treatments, she is gone now.

Next week, my sister-in-law, Hazel, would have turned 48. But she died from bowel cancer which spread to her liver when she was only 39.

And then of course there are the countless other stories that cross our news desk. Bella Harry, Sam Martin... just to name a few.

There will be Cancer Council fundraisers and big morning teas and all sorts of events by not-for-profit organisations to help raise awareness and funds for research.

Meanwhile our politicians sit around and spend money on other priorities.

After Hazel died, I wrote a column questioning why we had a Minister for Climate Change when cancer was killing us right now. Why isn't there a Minister for Cancer Cure?

Maybe it's naive, but I can't wonder why governments around the world can spend millions on building up armies and yet seemingly do and spend so little on research on something that's killing us daily, in our homes.

I appreciate cancer is a complicated illness with many variations, or whatever, but surely more can be done?

We've sent people into space, we can have watches on our wrist which answer a phone, surely we can find a cure to cancer?

Every time someone knew comes into power, they highlight their priorities.

I've never yet heard any politician say my would be to fund extensive research into finding a cure cancer.

Forget about making America "great again", that would make the world great again.

And to every family going through a cancer "journey", never ever give up.