An ingredient in Brazil nuts could hold the key to halting the spread of hard-to-treat breast cancer, research suggests.

A study found that starving triple negative breast cancer cells of the antioxidant selenium could kill them.

Selenium performs crucial functions in the body and helps to stave off chronic conditions, so cutting it out of our diets is not an option.

But experts hope their findings could lead to a treatment that interferes with uptake of the antioxidant in the body.

Researcher Dr Saverio Tardito, who led the work at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow, said: “If we can find a treatment that interferes with the uptake of this mineral by triple negative breast cancer cells, we could potentially prevent this cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

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“It is not usually breast cancer itself that proves fatal as it can often be tackled successfully with treatment or surgery, it is when the cancer spreads that it proves harder to control.

“With triple negative breast cancer having fewer treatments to control it, finding a new way to prevent it spreading could be life-saving.”

Around 56,800 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK and 15% have triple negative disease.

When cancer cells are clustered together, a type of fat molecule containing oleic acid protects them from a type of cell death brought on by selenium starvation.

The study looked at the impact of depriving cancer cells of selenium when they not clustered, such as when they are moving around the body.

Interfering with the metabolism of selenium in those “sparse” cells was found to kill them.

Cancer Research UK’s science engagement lead Dr Sam Godfrey said: “Outcomes for patients with triple negative breast cancer can be worse than for other types of cancer.

“Research like this could be the key to preventing this type of cancer spreading, and that would have a transformative effect on how this disease is treated.

“We are delighted to fund innovative research which can lead to fascinating discoveries.

“These discoveries are the building blocks on which the future treatments are made and could prove crucial in giving hope to those who are affected by this and other forms of cancer.”

The findings were published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.