Genes that triple bowel cancer risk found

London, Dec 17 (UNI) In a major breakthrough, scientists have found two flawed genes that could triple the risk of developing bowel cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease.

The finding will hasten the search to find new ways of treating and even preventing the disease.

According to Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, the two sections of flawed DNA are thought to be common and linked to around 15 per cent of bowel cancers. If carried with a bowel cancer gene, the two stretches of DNA could double or even treble the risk of bowel cancer.

The two rogue stretches, which have not been given names, were found after researchers scrutinised the DNA of 15,000 people.

The Daily Mirror quoted Professor Ian Tomlinson, of Cancer Research Britain's London Research Institute and joint lead researcher on the study as saying, ''Increasing our understanding of genes like this may make it possible for scientists to eventually develop ways of stopping many people at increased risk of bowel cancer from developing the disease altogether.'' Professor Richard Houlston, of the Institute of Cancer Research at the University of London, and the study's co-leader, said, ''By pinpointing more genes which increase an individual's risk of bowel cancer, we ultimately hope to improve diagnosis and treatment of this cancer.'' UNI