Sydney, July 16 - A widespread gene mutation, once thought to be a trivial abnormality, adds significantly to the risk of developing bowel cancer, according to a new study.

Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) deputy director John Olynyk, who co-authored the study, said people with the defect -- present in one in every 36 Caucasians -- and who had a cancer pre-disposing abnormality were three times more likely to develop bowel cancer.

'What we discovered is that people who carry two copies of the gene mutation known as H63D, and who also have the gene mutations linked to bowel cancer, are three times more likely to develop bowel cancer but fortunately, this particular gene mutation is able to be readily detected in Australia,' Olynyk said.

Olynyk said the study looked at more than 350 people from Australia and Poland who carried a specific gene mutation associated with a type of bowel cancer known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.