Henrietta Lacks - Research Paper Outline PDF

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Ronee Miltier ENG1102 16 Septemeber 2016 Exploratory Notes Assignment #1 Question addressed: Who was Henrietta Lacks? Source: Skloot, Rebecca. "Henrietta's Dance." John Hopkins Magazine. Apr. 2000: n. pag. Jh.edu. Summer 2010. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. Summary: Henrietta Lacks was an African American, underprivileged tobacco farm worker from Virginia. Before settling down with her husband, she danced at a place called Turner’s Station in Baltimore, Maryland. Once her fun was over and she was done with dancing, she married a man named David Lacks in 1943; they had five children before her cervix became infected with cancer. In February of 1951, Henrietta noticed some abnormal vaginal discharge and spotting in her underwear. Her husband and their five children drove her to John Hopkins Hospital in Maryland to be evaluated. John Hopkins Hospital was the closest one to Henrietta that treated African American patients. After Howard Jones, a physician at the hospital, examined her cervix and took tissue samples of a tumor he found, Henrietta was sent home. When she returned to the hospital eight days later, she was informed of the egg-plant colored tumor they found and was told that it was malignant, meaning it was fatal and incurable. The doctors covered her cervix with radium in hopes of killing the cancer. Before they applied the first treatment, George Gey, who was in charge of the tissue culture research at Hopkins, took one last sample from her for his cell research experiment. If he could discover cells that would live outside of the human body,

researchers would be able to monitor and observe cells in hopes of finding a cure for cancer. Henrietta never knew about the samples taken from her body or how big of a role they would play in future medical research. (Skloot.)

Assignment #2 Question addressed: How did Henrietta Lacks contribute to modern medical research? Source: "Henrietta Lacks: A Donor's Immortal Legacy." NPR. NPR Books, 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. Collins, Francis. "HeLa Cells: A New Chapter in An Enduring Story." National Institutes of Health. 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. Summary: After Dr. George Gey took Henrietta’s tissue samples and observed them in a lab, he discovered that not only would her cells survive, but they would also grow indefinitely. For the past six decades, Lacks' cells have been cultivated and used in research experiments such as determining the long-term effects of radiation and testing the polio vaccine. Once scientists and researchers learned that Henrietta’s cells could potentially spark a medical revolution, they named them “HeLa Cells.” Understandably, this came from the abbreviation of her name. “He” coming from Henrietta, and “La” coming from Lacks. (Henrietta Lacks) HeLa cells have been used in over 74,000 scientific publications since the 1960’s. These cells have become the base for scientific inquiry. They have been used in research to help comprehend the growth, differentiation and death of cells which aid in the treatment and understanding the cause of human diseases. HeLa cells also helped medical examiners discover In Vitro Fertilization, which helps fertility-seeking adults accomplish pregnancy through a reproductive procedure. One of the reasons why HeLa cells were used so commonly in medical research, was because there was an abundant supply of cells to use due to the fact that they kept reproducing on their own. This meant that labs all over the world would be able to study these cells and have a common origin

for their research. Although her cells were significant to current and future medical advancements, it goes without saying that perhaps Henrietta’s rights had been violated. (Collins.)

Assignment #3 Question addressed: How did Henrietta Lacks contribute to the establishment of future medical ethics laws? Source: Stump, Jessica L. "Henrietta Lacks And The HeLa Cell: Rights Of Patients And Responsibilities Of Medical Researchers." History Teacher 48.1 (2014): 127180. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. " Pat i entRi ght s . "Medl i nePl us.Nat i onalI ns t i t ut esofHeal t h,n. d.Web.16Mar .2015.

Summary: When Dr. George Gey took a sample of Henrietta’s cells without her consent or knowledge, he morally violated her rights as a human being. Although in the 1950’s, there were no laws in place to protect a patients disclosure of their personal medical information, that is not to say that Dr. Gey did not morally take advantage of Henrietta’s privacy. Even though Gey’s reason for taking the tissue samples without consent was for the greater good of medical research, that does not mean it is necessarily justified. Rebecca Skloot wrote in her book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, “Since the era when Henrietta walked through the doors of Hopkins, the field of biomedical ethics was born, and with it came regulations about informed consent.” (Skloot) Henrietta’s harvested cells brought forth many laws to protect patients from the nonconsensual use of their personal information of their health and DNA. Today, there are many laws in place to protect the rights of patients, from non-release consent forms (HIPAA) to protection against discrimination. (Patients Rights.) Though I concede with Dr. Gey’s decision to use the cells for the greater good of medicine, I strongly believe that there were ways to obtain consent through Henrietta or her family. Because of Gey’s research on the HeLa cells and their immortality, many legal issues have risen today with Henrietta’s family members.

Assignment #4 Question addressed: Write out question here. Source: Use full, MLA-style citation here. Summary: Your summary should be around one page long....