![]() Patients are generally scheduled every 90 minutes, but it takes that much face-to-face time just to gather enough information, calculate risks, discuss potential testing and management options, and-most importantly-provide enough information that patients and families can make an informed decision about genetic testing and the implications for their individual situation. It’s a labor-intensive process, and there’s a limit to how many patients and families I can see in a day or week. My practice involves educating and counseling patients about genetic risks for developing cancer. This is a good thing, because it starts the discussion about ethical considerations and genetic testing. The book’s popularity has made it common reading material in high schools and book clubs throughout the country. The book and film aim to encourage people to think about science and the potential harm unethical choices. Ethical Considerations With Genetic Testing ![]() Ironically, Henrietta’s family lived in poverty and never received any of the financial benefits derived from their mother’s tumor cells. The cells, and the experiments that were performed with them, led to the creation of a massive for-profit industry. Years later, Henrietta’s children accidently learned that their mother’s cervical cancer cells (called HeLa cells) were being used in research. Despite aggressive treatment, Henrietta died at the age of 31, leaving behind a husband and five young children. Gey never informed Henrietta that her tumor was being used for research. Gey had attempted for years to get cells to divide continuously and infinitely in the lab so that the scientific community could have an inexhaustible supply of human cells on which to perform experiments. In the story, unbeknownst to Henrietta, some tissue was removed from her tumor and sent to George Gey's lab at Johns Hopkins Hospital to be cultured in test tubes. The book encourages the reader to think about the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over who owns and controls genetic material. Henrietta’s story raises questions about ethics, race, and genetics. ![]() In this context, the word immortal refers to cells that aren’t subject to the Hayflick limit, which is the point at which cells can no longer divide because of DNA damage or shortened telomeres. The book and film are about how an immortal cell line was generated from cervical cancer cells taken from Henrietta in 1951. Author Rebecca Skloot shared Henrietta’s story in a 2010 nonfiction book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, that was adapted into a movie released on April 22, 2017. Safeguards are in place today to prevent such an ethical breach, but in 1951 Henrietta Lacks and her family weren’t as lucky. Imagine a situation where a patient’s tumor cells were used for countless scientific experiments-without the patient’s informed consent. ![]()
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