Some people just can't get a break*

[doodab]

A lot more people beating it, or at least living longer with it.

This is true, certainly among some of the more common cancers breast and prostate have pretty good survival rates now, as do some of the less common ones. Bowel and lung cancer much less so unfortunately.

Cancer survival for common cancers : Cancer Research UK

The big problem with the "hard to cure" cancers generally isn't treating them, it's detecting them early enough for a cure to be possible. That's certainly the case for GI cancers (oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, bowel etc). By the time they start causing noticeable symptoms it's usually to late, although they do have screening programs for bowel cancer now so progress is being made.