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The cells start growing at an extremely fast rate over the course of 3 months.
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HeLa Cells' Accomplishments:
Henrietta's cells led many scientists to discovery. With her cells, virology, cloning, and genetics were made possible. HeLa was also used to test the effects of chemotherapy drugs, steroids, hormones, environmental stress and vitamins. Her cells helped make a vaccine for polio. During the 1960's, HeLa were some of many cells the National Cancer Institute used to find several of today's widely used chemotherapy drugs. With out Henrietta's cells, science would not be where it is today. -
Henrietta finally goes to the doctor about the lump she found.
When her the test results came back, they reported she had stage one carcinoma of the cervix. -
Henrietta's biopsy report comes back.
She is informed her cancer is malignant. -
Henrietta's cervix cells were collected for Gey's experiment, and the cells went to Gey's lab to be prepared by Mary, his assistant.
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Henrietta's cells began growing in Gey's lab.
Mary, Gey's assistant, saw where the cells had what looked like little rings of fried egg white around the bottom of each tube. -
Henrietta's tumor vanished from her radium treatments.
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Three weeks after Henrietta started radiation therapy, Gey appeared oon television discussing his experimentation and goal of curing cancer with the HeLa cells.
By this time, Gey had sent out samples of Henrietta's cells to scientist who might use them for cancer research. -
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Henrietta starts to believe that the cancer is coming back because she has abnormal pain, but the doctors don't find anything.
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Henrietta was admitted into the hospital so her new tumors could be better cared for. The doctors now knew they could not cure her, but poorly attempted at releaving her pain.
Gey asked for another sample of her cervix cells, but they died immediately from being contaminated by toxins that are normally flushed from the system during urination. -
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HeLa Cells' Abuses
Scientist Southam used Henrietta's cells to inject patience with malignant cancer cells without their consent or knowledge. He claimed it wasn't wrong to inject the patients, because consent wasn't a law for doctors. Though it is given doctors are suppose to do what is best for their patients, and injecting them with cancer cells that put them at risk for death is not "best". The HeLa cells that some organizations cultured obtained millions from selling them, giving nothing to Henrietta's family