Cancer By Henrietta Lacks

The story “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” that’s written by Rebecca Skloot. The author talks about a story happened in the 1950’s, and it’s effects still happening. The aspect that controls the story is power of privilege. In all places, in all times, power of privilege is specified for people who called elite. They get this power to control situations, but it does not mean they all deserve handling this power. This power created to control everything and improve or develop it. It is just considered under the actions that seem like what Skloot mentions in the story, but this power is related to all things in our life. Now, let’s go back to the story, and see the effects of that power under the wrong usage. At that period of time, the power of privilege was controlled by whites. The separation that was between blacks and whites, and the arrogance that some white people had encouraged them to insult black people. Dr. George Gey is the one of the doctors who used their power to do something no one at that time knew it’s consequences, which is taking the cells. On the other hand, Henrietta whose cells were stolen with out her permission. Finally, the results mostly affected Deborah which is Henrietta’s daughter.

Being a doctor requires a lot of hard work and commitment to help others and look for the patient’s well being, but has it always been this way? In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, she claims in paragraph 4 on page 130 that doctors used to withhold information from patients just so they won’t deny the test being made, and this way obtain their wanted benefit. The author’s claim is supported by the events of the patients from jail, Henrietta’s autopsy, and Henrietta’s cells overall.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, written by Rebecca Skloot, begins by sharing Henrietta Lack’s journey of becoming the dehumanized HeLa cell. Henrietta was a poor, black woman who grew up in the era of institutionalized racism, which created no way for her to become educated and therefore, unable to further herself or her family. Skloot shows how Henrietta’s race dictated her life by leaving her with no choice in hospital, no chance in understanding her treatment, and no identity to her own ‘immortal’ cells.

P#1 Doctors and Hospitals prey on the weakness of their patients in order to do experiments. In the book of Henrietta Lacks she was diagnosed with cancer and went to Hopkins hospital to get treatment but instead they took her cells and did research and gave them to other scientists who made millions off of Henrietta cells . These cells helped find vaccine for polio and treatment for sexually transmitted disease. (“Rebecca” )Since she was poor and only reached to 6 grade education they did not give her accurate information of their hospital service . John Hopkins thought that they can do whatever they want to do with their patients since they were the only hospital that treated African American for free . In Alabama 1932, the Public Health

“Henrietta just nodded and said, ‘Lord, it just feels like that blackness be spreadin all inside of me,’” remarked Rebecca Skloot, author of the nonfiction novel The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. This quote not only personifies the pain of cancer patient Henrietta Lacks, but it stands as a metaphor for the African-American race during the mid-twentieth century. Through the story of the Lacks family, readers are able to thoroughly understand the culture, medicinal practices, and attitudes of the African Americans and scientists of the time.

SWBAT read and analyze portions of the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and share their findings with their peers through a jigsaw activity.

On October 4, 1951 a 31 year old woman named Henrietta Lacks passed away after months of fighting aggressive Cervical cancer. Before her death, Henrietta’s doctors had taken a small sample of the Cervical tumor that had been slowly killing her and developed what would become known as the first “immortal” cell line. Without Henrietta or her family’s knowledge, researchers named the line “HeLa” and before long were distributing the constantly replicating cells across the globe to researchers studying anything from cancer to beauty care treatments. However, Henrietta was more than just some delivery vessel for an important cell line. She was a young, beautiful, and caring mother whose

2a) Henrietta Lacks was the Afro-American who died from cancer and became an involuntary source of biomaterial based on which the line of the ‘immortal’ HeLa cells, widely used in scientific purposes, was created.

In a world with over billions of people, it’s astounding to think that biologically, we are all so different, yet so alike. As generations pass, our biological design evolves and new health risks arise, which require new cures to be discovered. Researchers for decades have turned to human tissue samples for some insight and profit on the biological vulnerabilities that have surfaced through out human history. The author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot raises the subject of human tissue samples through her piece on the first immortal cells discovered and the advances it caused in the field of medical science. Unfortunately, the human body is designed in a way where while our biological make up is similar yet sometimes incompatible with one another’s. Catherine Walby, the author of “Biomedicine, Tissue Transfer and Intercorporeality”, discusses the unique identity each individuals tissues hold and the biological limitations not only physically, but psychologically when it comes to organ transplants or other bodily exchanges. Her article expresses the individuality in each individuals tissues and how it’s more than just a biological exchange. To preserve the personhood of human tissues, consent laws then come in to play. David Wendler’s article, “Consent for Research With Biological Samples: One-Time General Consent Versus a Gift Model”, explores the legality of different forms of consent

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” is a famous quote from Maya Angelou in her book “Letter to My Daughter.” This quote is arguably true. There are many circumstances that people come into face with, some are controllable while others are way out of control.

The article states that “Hopi Indians have had cancer rates of 1 to 1000 as opposed to 1 in 4 of the typical American”. The Native Americans eat grass fed meat, which contains nitrilosides that fight cancer. In America, there “is something in this modern way of raising livestock and poultry that is contributing to cancer.” Americans are eating processed meat, red meat and other foods that are causing them to get cancer. Native Americans are eating quality animal protein, which “often contributes to good health, as in getting critical Vitamin D from Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon.” Americans don’t consume good quality animal protein, which causes more Americans get

One possible explanation for the Cancer-cow link, explains study co-author Maryam Farvid, PhD, of the Harvard School of Public Health. The hormones, animal fat, and preservatives found in red meat could also explain the spike in breast cancer rates among the most enthusiastic cow eaters, Farvid added. Why is red meat so risky in young adulthood? While Farvid couldn't say for certain, her research suggests cutting back on red meat earlier in life may spare your body from years of heavy exposure to all of those potential

To get an idea about how the cancer rates in America correlate with eating patterns, I will give a little history of dietary habits. Traditionally, food was an integral part of life. Life revolved around food because life revolved around survival. (Cancer, 7) Before the Industrial Revolution, local resources had to be relied upon for sustenance. There were no major highways for transporting food and other goods. This meant that most homesteads were self-sustainable. Farming was done to provide food for the members of the family and the farm animals. Most meals were prepared on a daily basis from scratch because there were very few food storage options. (Cancer, 11)

The rate of cancer in the United States is substantially higher than other countries this is most likely due to the American Lifestyle. In general, Americans are characterized as smokers, obese, not regularly exercising, obsessed with their appearance, having poor dietary practices, and overworked. While death by smoking has fallen 5% since 2005, 15.5% of deaths in the US are still from smoking (Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States). Smoking has been linked to fourteen different kinds of cancer and many other illnesses such as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Another huge issue in the US is obesity. Over 70% of people, over the age of 20, are overweight or obese which increases a person 's likelihood of acquiring 13 different types of cancer (Obesity and Cancer). All countries have a unique diet, in the US we eat a lot of fast food, do not consume the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables and consume too much meat. According to Sheila Bingham, a member of the Medical Research Council at Cambridge University, “Up to 80% of breast, bowel and prostate cancers are attributed to dietary practices, and international comparisons show strong positive associations with meat consumption” (High-Meat Diets and Cancer Risk). Not only are we obese because of what we eat and how much we eat, but because of our lack of exercise. Only 20.9% of people meet the

The studies fail to sustain Solae Company’s petition for a health claim for soy protein, but give good support for the FDA’s endorsement of fruits and veggies as a way to prevent cancer. Foods that are pickled, smoked and fried, vegetable cooking oils, processed meats, high-salt dishes, and fermented beans mainly labeled soy miso are often associated with stomach and colon cancers. Things that have also been implicated are smoking, alcohol, noodles, bread and other starchy carbohydrates, ‘speed eating,’ and binge eating.