What makes these cells different from healthy ones is not usually their appearance, Hosick said. The difference comes in their rate of growth and chemical makeup. Two or three undergraduate researchers join the faculty and graduate students in WSU's cancer research labs each year. Hosick said they often publish papers and go on to graduate school. The group studies what causes cancer, specifically the role dietary fats play.
Researchers look at several cancers, including breast and prostate cancers and melanomas.
They also study what makes cells turn cancerous and the effects cancerous cells have on healthy ones. The center itself is 10 years old, but it has really developed in the last two years, said Gary Meadows, Dorothy O. Kennedy professor of pharmaseutical sciences and director of WSU's Cancer Prevention and Research Center. Hosick works specifically with students who study what makes breast cancer cells grow. That information could be useful for studying other cancers, Hosick said. Different cancers can be very different from each other with a few common characteristics.