Crucial tests for early cancer diagnosis are under threat as NHS labs are at a "tipping point", a report by Cancer Research UK has warned.
Pathology services in the UK are struggling to keep pace with the rising number of samples that need analysing in order to spot the disease while it is easier to treat, the charity said.
Increasing demand on services due to an ageing population and inadequate staff numbers have created a "diagnostic bottleneck" that will get worse without urgent action, it added.