So-called incidentalomas ⁠— cancers that are found by accident ⁠— are becoming more common as the population ages and with increasing use of imaging and other investigations.

But just how common are they? And which cancers tend to be picked up?

UK researchers have come up with the answers using an audit of nearly 14,000 cancer patients.

They say at least 4% of patients are diagnosed with cancer as the result of an investigation, scan or consultation that reveals an incidentaloma.