TOKYO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Less frequent bowel movement does not necessarily mean a higher likelihood of getting colon cancer, Japanese researchers found in a study released on Wednesday.

    After tracking some 60,000 Japanese men and women aged 40 to 69 for an average of seven years from 1993, the team concluded that there is no significant difference in risks of contracting colon cancer between people with one bowel movement per two to three days and those who have a daily bowel movement, Kyodo News said.

    Colorectal cancer is one of the most common form of cancer and a leading cause of death among cancers in developed countries of the West. Some scientists suspect that constipation can raise the risks of getting bowel cancer since substances detrimental to health could build up in the colon.