Do you make the cancer you work on or take it from someone that’s had it removed?

Question: Do you make the cancer you work on or take it from someone that's had it removed?

Asked by sorchandanniirock to Leo, Jo, Gioia on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: Your Research.
- Joanna Watson answered on 14 Jun 2010:
  
  Hi there.
  I don’t work on cancer in a lab – I use data from hospitals about people who have been diagnosed with cancer, so I can’t really answer your question – sorry. I’m sure the other scientists will be able to give you a great answer though!
  Jo.
- Gioia Cherubini answered on 18 Jun 2010:
  
  I normally work on cell lines, that means cells that at some point have been taken from a patient and then immortalised, so that they could indefinitely divide in a plastic dish. Some of these cells have the capacity to reform a tumour once you inject them in a mice. The first cell line ever made is called HeLa, they were taken from a woman that died of cervical cancer in the 50s. There are even books talking about this “famous” cell line!
  Sometimes I work with cells that come directly from a patient and in that case we talk of primary cells, that can divide only for a limited number of times.

Question: Do you make the cancer you work on or take it from someone that's had it removed?