Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

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Immortality is a term that is rarely used outside of comic books and fiction novels; the term means to live forever (Merriam-Webster). Henrietta Lacks was an American woman from Clover Virginia whose cervical cancer cells were the source of the HeLa cell line. The scientific name for HeLa is helacyton gartleri and is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The HeLa name derived from the first two letters in the name Henrietta Lacks. After being diagnosed with cervical cancer, Henrietta sadly passed away only 8 months later. Henrietta’s cells still live and are growing today and are being used for research purposes.
In the early 1950’s a young woman who was never acknowledged (pg9) named Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical …show more content…

Henrietta showed up to Hopkins Hospital with a lump on her cervix unknown to both her and her physician that her pain would be detrimental to her health. After listening to her symptoms and examining her, Dr. Jones found a lump exactly where she said it would be. After sending her samples to the local lab Dr. Jones sent Henrietta home to wait for her results. During the first stage of her illness, Henrietta was diagnosed with “Epidermoid Carcinoma of the Cervix, stage 1” (pg. 24) by Dr. Howard Jones. According to the novel The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks “Most cervical cancers are carcinomas, which grow from the epithelial cells that cover the cervix and protect its surface” (pg. 18). There are two types of cervical cancer, the invasive carcinoma which is deadly and the noninvasive carcinoma which is often called sugar icing carcinoma. Invasive carcinoma can be treated by chemotherapy, radiation, and laser surgery. Lacks was treated by radiation therapy which destroys any cells it encounters and can often burn the skin, it also kills any cancer cells. Henrietta was diagnosed on February 5, 1951 and didn’t tell anyone until it was time for treatments. On October 4, 1951 exactly 8 months and 1 day later Henrietta Lacks died of cervical …show more content…

Therefore, if every citizen receives free comprehensive coverage there will be less illnesses and more preventable diagnosis. For instance, if a person is healthy he or she can contribute better to the work place and could lessen the chance of unnecessary communicable diseases. Also, companies are paying less in wages which makes health coverage almost impossible to cover. If the government would cover the cost of medical treatments for all Americans, then there would be no excuse or reason to complain about seeing a doctor which could lead to less preventable deaths.
In conclusion, a poor black farmer had to be treated at a charity hospital for a tumor that later took her life. Mrs. Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with type 1 cervical cancer and had no medical insurance to relieve to finical burden that was bestowed upon her. If the government would provide free coverage to all Americans maybe it will encourage citizens to visit the doctor more often. Mrs. Lacks had a groundbreaking impact on modern medicine and her cells are still being used today to treat various

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