Different cancers can be very different from each other with a few common characteristics. Often, the cancerous cells kind of eat their way through the body, killing different cells along the way. The defining characteristic of any cancer cell is its abnormally high rate of growth, he said. Lab scientists use a microscope to study how cancer cells move throughout the body, Meadows said. Microscopes also can help researchers identify cancer cells with irregular shapes.
Chemical assays help researchers identify what proteins are present in the cells.
Electrophoresis, the process of passing an electric current through the cells, isolates different molecules by separating them based on size and electric charge. Scientists create DNA and polymerase chain reactions to determine what is the common DNA in the cancerous cells, Hosick said. Most cancers are very different from each other, Hosick said. But the same kinds of circuits exist in many cancers. So although the center doesn't deal directly with each kind of cancer, it can transfer its findings to cancer in general.