THE public are worryingly unaware about a type of breast cancer that kills 1,000 women a month in the UK, a charity has said.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer said that half of the population do not know what secondary breast cancer is.

The disease, also known as metastatic breast cancer, occurs when breast cancer has spread to another part of the body.

However, only 45 per cent of people know what it is, according to a poll conducted on 2,000 British adults on behalf of the charity.

Chris Askew, chief ­executive at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "It is worrying that the public is unaware of how serious breast cancer is. In order for us to put an end to it and ensure we stop the disease from taking the lives of our mothers, wives, daughters and sisters, it's crucial that we rally as much support as possible.

"This doesn't have to be a disease that kills. However, without more support, more awareness, more funding and more research, breast cancer will continue to be one of the UK's biggest killers."

A Breakthrough Breast Cancer spokeswoman said that 12,000 people die from secondary breast cancer each year in the UK.