Sir Sean Connery has been undergoing secret cancer checks on a throat condition that has plagued him for over 20 years.

The 007 star checked in to a New York hospital for the appointment two weeks ago, after dropping out of a charity event he had been due to host.

Although the 76-year-old later told fans he was fighting fit, it has now emerged he missed the Tartan Week show to let consultants examine potentially cancerous polyps in his throat.

The actor first suffered the growths in 1986 and had them removed after a bout of laryngitis. But they subsequently returned and now it has been revealed he must undergo annual medical investigations to make sure they do not turn cancerous.

It was because of this regular appointment that he could not attend the Dressed to Kilt fashion show, leading to a frenzy of speculation about his health.

The actor¡¯s Edinburgh-based brother also suffers from the condition and their father died from throat cancer at the age of 69.

While the growths are not harmful, they have the potential to become malignant, particularly where there is a family history of the disease.

Last night the actor¡¯s brother Neil said the tests were part of a yearly check-up and confirmed they clashed with the charity gig he had been due to host.

He explained: "Sean was in New York for his MOT, which I do every year in Edinburgh.

"I¡¯m pleased to say he passed. He had polyps on his throat, as I did, and it is on-going. It is something which needs to be followed through. You have to have yearly checks and that is why Sean was at the hospital ¨C just to make sure everything was alright.

"He did go on to attend some luncheon later but had to cancel the earlier event because of this appointment."

Last year the Edinburgh-born actor had a tumour removed from his kidney after routine tests picked up the growth, which was believed to have been benign.

It was the latest in a line of health scares for the star, who has vowed to leave his home in the Bahamas and return to Scotland if the SNP secure independence.

Since he first developed the throat polyps, he has undergone several bouts of surgery to have them removed, though it is not thought he needed any surgery during his check-up in New York.

In 1993 Connery, who was once a heavy smoker, flew home from South Africa where he was filming A Good Man in Africa after losing his voice. He had already undergone laser treatment and doctors ordered him not to talk.

But the problem returned and he entered the Royal Marsden Hospital in London under an assumed name for six weeks of radiotherapy.

Assuring fans of his clean bill of health last week, the Bond icon expressed regret at missing part of the annual Tartan Day celebrations.

He added: "I did receive my annual medical checks last week and I would like to say that I am feeling well and everything is in good order."