Dr John Stingl, group leader in mammary stem cell biology at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute, said: “This is one of the biggest advances we have seen this year in this area of research. These scientists have demonstrated that it’s possible to selectively target the rare cancer stem cells that drive tumour growth.

“This research also introduces a completely new way of identifying cancer drugs. The challenge for the future is to bring this class of drugs to the clinic and to identify the patients that are likely to respond to them.”

Dr Alexis Willett, head of policy at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, added: “There is evidence that stem cells may enable breast cancers to form and grow.

“This research provides a clue as how to identify these cells and how they might be targeted and destroyed. “It’s important to remember that this is very early research and it will be some time before it is clear whether this leads to an effective breast cancer treatment.”