As Ireland prepares to announce its target date to eliminate cervical cancer, we pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Henrietta Lacks.
By Susan Donlon, Communications Team, National Screening Service
Henrietta Lacks, a Black American woman and a young mother, died from cervical cancer on 4 October 1951, just eight months after her cancer diagnosis. She was 31 years old.
During her treatment, a sample of Henrietta’s tumour cells were taken without her or her family’s knowledge or consent. Named after Henrietta, ‘HeLa’ cells would become responsible for some of the greatest scientific advancements of the century.
Immortal cells
A cancer and virus researcher at the laboratory discovered that HeLa cells were unlike any other he had seen before. Where other cells would die in a laboratory setting, HeLa cells doubled every 20 to 24 hours. The cells were able to reproduce indefinitely outside the human body and became the first discovered ‘immortal’ line of human cells.
The discovery was shared with researchers and the cells were distributed widely for scientific research. HeLa cells have been used in up to 75,000 studies and have contributed to many medical breakthroughs including the development of the polio and COVID-19 vaccines and medication for treating the effects of cancer, HIV, haemophilia, leukaemia, and Parkinson’s disease.
Research conducted with Henrietta’s HeLa cells proved that various strains of HPV (the human papillomavirus) caused most cervical cancers. This discovery led to the development of the HPV vaccine - a vital part of the global initiative to eliminate cervical cancer.
Equity
Henrietta’s cells were commercialised for profit. For decades, her contribution to science remained hidden from the world until her family went in search of more information about their mother’s death. They discovered their mother’s cells were taken without her consent and used for profit.
The Lacks family decided to take action to end cervical cancer inequalities in honour of Henrietta, to ensure that all mothers and daughters have equal access to the healthcare they need. The HPV vaccine – a life-saving tool that protects against cervical cancer - was developed using the cells of a Black woman yet remains inaccessible to girls in some of the poorest and most heavily burdened countries. Globally, Black women are disproportionately affected by cervical cancer. Black women have significantly higher incidence and death rates of invasive cervical cancer than White women and are dying while unable to access a vaccine that can save lives.
In 2020, HELA100: The Henrietta Lacks Initiative was established by her family to celebrate Henrietta on what would have been her 100th birthday. The initiative aims to preserve Henrietta’s legacy and educate future generations about the impact of her immortal cells while promoting health equity and social justice.
Cervical Cancer Elimination
Marking the 100th anniversary of Henrietta Lacks’ birth, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an historic campaign to eliminate the very disease which claimed her life. The WHO’s Global Strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem was launched on 17 November 2020 – now an annual Day of Action for Cervical Cancer Elimination. It marked the first time the world committed to eliminating a cancer.
In 2022, at the World Health Summit in Berlin, the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appointed the family of Henrietta Lacks as WHO Goodwill Ambassadors for Cervical Cancer Elimination.
In recognising Henrietta Lacks’ enduring legacy, the WHO acknowledged her story – one of inequity – and committed to collectively rectifying unjust disparities in global health. Dr Tedros said, “Much like the injustice of Henrietta Lacks’ story, women all over the world from racial and minority ethnic groups face disproportionately higher risks from cervical cancer. WHO’s goal is to eliminate cervical cancer, which means the innovations created with Henrietta Lacks’ cells must be made available equitably to all women and girls.”
The Mother of Modern Medicine
Henrietta Lacks unknowingly gave the world the gift of her immortal HeLa cells in 1951. The cells have since contributed to some of the greatest scientific and medical advancements of our time. Her legacy lives on through this human cell line that continues to benefit all of humanity and will contribute to eliminating a cancer for the first time in our history.
Ireland’s roadmap to Cervical Cancer Elimination: Ireland announced its commitment to the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination initiative in January 2023, during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, and published a roadmap to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. The National Screening Service is working in partnership with the National Immunisation Office, the National Cancer Control Programme and the National Cancer Registry Ireland to progress the WHO global targets. A wider strategic group is overseeing the work with input from patient advocacy representatives.
Ireland will announce its target date for elimination on 17 November 2023 – the Day of Action for Cervical Cancer Elimination.
Equity in Screening: The National Screening Service works to reduce inequity in screening. We work with communities to enable greater participation in screening programmes. Equity is a key priority for us in our 5-year strategy, Choose Screening – Together we can make a difference. We’ve been developing a strategic framework to improve equity in screening, due to be published by the end of 2023.
HPV vaccine: The Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up programme is available free in Ireland to young women aged 24 and younger and young men aged 21 and younger who have left secondary school and did not previously receive the vaccine. The programme runs to the end of 2023.