"Patients will be very excited to know that this research helps us to identify why at least 10% of people are at risk from the disease." "This discovery of a common bowel cancer gene is further proof that we are really getting to grips with what causes bowel cancer.

Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK who are funding further gene studies in ovarian and lung cancer, said: "In the future we hope studies like this across a range of cancers will help people at increased risk of the developing the disease through the development of tailored screening and treatment programmes."