than what they could give me an appointment. i mean, they are under a massive amount of stress. i totally understand that. if i hadn t have been persistent, i don t know what would happen. it doesn t bear thinking about really. the nhs in england says more patients are being diagnosed with cancer at an earlier stage than ever before. that really improves a patient s chances of a good outcome. in august of this year, more than a quarter of a million people were checked following an urgent gp referral, the highest number on record. the system is under pressure and if it goes wrong, the impact can be devastating. at tony s old golf club, his family have planted a tree with his ashes. hiya, love. 0k today? yeah? still got some leaves left. they ll never know for sure if the delay in his diagnosis and treatment contributed to his death. but the worry is that many thousands more are living with the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with cancer. dominic hughes, bbc news.