Four specific genes have been identified by the team of around 12 scientists, with more in the pipeline.

Last year, the university’s Molecular Oncology section received grants from charities, including Wirral organisation the Cancer and Polio Research Fund, but the team now need £1.5m for a pre clinical trial, which would take about three years to complete.

After this stage, it is hoped a pharmaceutical company would come on board.

Professor Rudland said that although a great deal of research had taken place into the growth of breast tumours, little effort had been made to see how breast cancer spreads.

Although primary breast tumours can be surgically removed, if the cancer has started to spread, surgery alone will not be successful.

In more than half of breast cancer cases, the disease spreads to other parts of the body and it is this process that causes the deaths of so many cancer patients.

Prof Rudland added: “Most cash invested into cancer research has been into treating the primary tumour but once the cancer has started to spread, this is too late.

“We think we can develop a drug that will stop other tumours forming, even if the cancer has begun to spread.

“We also think the discovery could help to prevent the spread of other major cancers, such as colon cancer.”