Cassandra Case Summary

In the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, HeLa’s cells were seized without her consent while in surgery. This book relates to this prompt for the reason that eighteen year olds should be granted to make their own medical decisions, unlike in the book where the doctor made the medical decision for her without her knowing. If the doctor knew about Bodily Integrity, they could have spoke to HeLa about the medical experiment, instead of conducting medical testing on her without her consent. Some consider it is okay that eighteen year olds make their own medical agreements because they are now the legal age and are responsible enough to make decisions.

As the cause of a painful death for six hundred thousand people annually, cancer affects nearly everyone in some way. Oncologist Vincent T. DeVita Jr., M.D. shares his journey while on, “the front lines of medicine,” and ,”reveals why the war on cancer is winnable- and how we can get there,”(front cover). Most think they know of the hardships cancer patients face, however, DeVita reaches knew depths to further the understanding of the disease to his readers by incorporating vast amounts of pathos and logos. Through over fifty years of extraordinary work in oncology, DeVita shares personal relationships with patients of his who survived and those not as fortunate. Since the fifties, survival rates of this disease lower every year, though

By using examples of organ donation and breast cancer, the author stirs feelings within the readers as a persuasive element. In the case of Schwartz’s breast cancer, he discusses the issue of mammograms and MRIs as choices for a test available. Though MRIs are more advanced, they also detect minor abnormalities and generally do no harm. Then, patients go through further painful tests usually to find out that there is nothing wrong. Though mammograms are less complex, they are much less painful.

Cancer, Is a disease that has claimed the lives of millions. This disease has no known cure at this time, this disease as many forms, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and even lung cancer. Cancer can be caused from someone’s diets,smoking, or other disease they could have like certain sexual transmitted disease. People’s health habits and how they take care of their self could determine if they would end up with cancer, and the discovering of Henrietta Lacks cancer relating to a disease changed the way cancer was viewed.

Just four years ago Emily Dumler was living a happy and healthy life with her husband and three kids. Until one summer afternoon when Emily started to feel unwell, her sickness indeed up getting so bad that she checked into urgent care. From there no one could figure out what was wrong with her, and Emily had to stay in the hospital for forty three days, before it was realized that she indeed had cancer. Emily says, “Scott (her husband) and I were actually relieved to find out I had cancer because what I had been going through for the last forty three days was so rough and we wanted to find a treatment that could help me.

Imagine going to the doctor after numerous, severe headaches. The doctor performs a CT scan that reveals a rapidly growing brain tumor. The doctor breaks down the information, reveals that the tumor is a rare form of cancer, and is inoperable. Unfortunately, the doctor also relays the life expectancy with a cancer this rare and aggressive; a few months at best and those short months will become increasingly

“’So what’s your story?’” she then then replies “’I already told you my story. I was diagnosed when-‘” He interrupts and says “’No, not your cancer story. Your story. Interests, hobbies, passions, etcetera… Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who becomes their disease. I know so many people like that. It’s disheartening. Like cancer is in the growth business, right? The taking-people-over business. But surely you haven’t let it succeed prematurely’” (Green, 32).

Cancer. We all know someone who has suffered from it or has passed away because of it. Cancer now affects one in every three people, and is the second highest cause of death in the United States. For decades, the medical community has been on the hunt for a cure for cancer, and have been subjected to intense ridicule from the public because of a lack of progression toward a possible cure. In recent years, many scientists, doctors, researchers, and the general public have come to believe that the cure for cancer is being suppressed because of this lack of progress. Those who say it is suppressed claim that the drugs used to treat cancer actually cause cancer, making a patient sicker and sicker. As a result, the patients are forced to spend

While these are high probabilities of treating the cancer, the quality of life afterward is still questionable. For instance, unintentional maleficence exists from the chemotherapy. A study by John Radford claims that “survivors of Hodgkin’s lymphoma are at substantial risk for one or more second cancers”. While chemotherapy is effective at treating lymphoma, it also seems to lead to a higher risk for a second cancer, and that cancer may need more chemotherapy. By Cassandra being forced to undergo treatment for her lymphoma she is also, inadvertently, getting this higher risk for more cancer later in her life. Moreover, Cassandra also faces the unwanted side effects of chemotherapy:“hair loss, mouth sores, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, increased chance of infections, easy bruising or bleeding, fatigue”. Not only is the chemotherapy not wanted, but it also comes with steep side effects that she must live with; the consequences of the involuntary treatment outweigh the chance that a person may survive - it is more important to respect a patient’s autonomy than to pursue a minimal, unwanted, questionable beneficence. A recent study reported on by Zosia Chustecka found that even eight years after the chemotherapy, “high-level fatigue was common”. Post chemotherapy there are changes that impact the quality of life of the

Terminally ill patients sometimes have misinterpreted life expectancies or even experience unexpected healing. Sharyn MacKay, a forty-six year old diagnosed with a kidney tumor, was told the cancer had spread and was incurable. Her doctors believed that chemotherapy would only add a few weeks to her life. However, MacKay strongly believed that she could win her battle against cancer. Three months later, after prayer and determination, her tumor had disappeared.

“Lets not call cancer patients as patients, they are cancer fighters. They are brave hearts” - Vikrmn, Gura. Nowadays, you hear more and more people getting cancer(13). It is a stress that many people worry about. You worry if one of your parents will get it. You pray your children don't’ get it. It’s a constant worry. You watch television and you can get this horrible monster from microwaving your food, drinking bottled water, carrying your phone in your pocket, using deodorant, coloring your hair and much more. Finding a cure for cancer would be a prayer answered for many.

Brittany Maynard, a woman known for her advocacy in the controversial topic of assisted suicide, officially ended her life this fall after learning of her fatal brain tumor. After complaining of horrible headaches, she decided to see a doctor where they gave her this traumatic news. She had two corrective surgeries to try and stop the growth of her large tumor, but they were unsuccessful. Her doctor then suggested full brain radiation, but after months of researching this option, along with many other, she knew her quality of what short life she had left would quickly deteriorate. With the help of her family, friends, and newly-wed husband, she made the decision to move with her loved ones from her California home to Oregon, where death with

When I was a kid, I always wondered why it took so long for an ill person to become well again. I always thought that if the ill person went to the doctor they would be back to normal the next day, but that’s not the case. For some people it took several days, weeks, months, and even years to conquer an illness but as a child I never could understand that. I don’t know how many times I’ve asked my mom or dad how come the doctors don’t get together and make a “miracle” drug that could heal anything and everything. It wasn’t until the age of 15 when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer that I understood why it took so long for others to heal and the process that they had to endure in order to be healthy again. Shortly after my grandmother’s diagnosis, I started looking into what it would take to get a drug that would cure cancer through the approval process on the shelf to save some many others just like my grandmother. But I kept running into a dead end. Everything seemed to keep pointing towards chemotherapy and radiation. Although I wanted something to heal my grandmother fast, chemotherapy and radiation was the only solution if I had wish to see her watch me graduate high school. I went to almost every appointment with her to watch how it helped strengthen but also watch as it drained her energy. A month of chemotherapy and a few weeks of radiation and my

Hazel Grace Lancaster is a sixteen year old girl who is diagnosed with stage 4 Thyroid cancer with metastasis forming in her lungs, but has managed to live with

One of the many of the world's problems is sickness, but some diseases have no cure which can result in death. Cancer is a code we just can’t seem to crack and it has taken hundreds of thousands of lives. Everyone knows of someone who has died of or had cancer in their life. It’s a hard sickness to beat but many strong people do beat it, some being children. I have personally seen my family members go through this and of course, some didn’t make it out alive. If you have seen anyone who has cancer, you’ll see how it can take over your body, how that person doesn’t even look like themselves anymore.