What are the options for cancer patients?

A leading British doctor has published a blog where he says "dying of cancer is the best death", when compared to the long suffering that could result from long - and often fatal - medical treatments.

His words have sparked a conversation online with many relatives of cancer patients saying they would never idly wait to watch their loved ones die with no access to drugs and doctors.

But what is preferable for cancer patients and their families? And how much should health systems invest in finding a cure for cancer?

Photo: Sam Ogden/Ssicence Photo Library