What were some of Deborah's fears and concerns after she found out that her mother's cells were still alive?

When Deborah found out that her mother's cells were still alive "she became desperate to understand what that meant: Did it hurt her mother when scientists injected her cells with viruses and toxins? Had scientists cloned her mother? And could those cells help scientists tell her about her mother, like what her favorite color was and if she liked to dance."