Cancer researcher Dr Rachna Shroff, 47, dies of the cancer she was researching
Dr Rachna Shroff, who spent much of her life researching cancer, has died from the disease aged 47.
The University of Arizona researcher died from an 'an aggressive cancer', the educational institution announced this week.
Today reports that Shroff was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, before she was told she had terminal adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that starts in the glands that line your organs.
The university said Shroff was 'internationally recognized for her work in bile duct cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma, turning her focus to the rare and historically difficult-to-treat disease when few treatment options existed and no Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies were available'.
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"Today, the field has changed dramatically, due in part to the landmark clinical trials Dr. Shroff led as a principal investigator," they added.
Dr Shoff was also a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, who described the doctor as 'one of the foremost experts on pancreatic and biliary tract cancers'.
They added in a statement: "ASCO joins the oncology community in mourning the death of Rachna T. Shroff, MD, MS, FASCO, a renowned expert specializing in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers and a dedicated ASCO volunteer. Dr. Shroff passed away following a battle with an aggressive cancer."
Despite her devestating cancer diagnosis, Dr. Shroff continued to work on spreading awareness surrounding the disease and raised money in a bid to benefit future awareness and a potential cure.
The health expert worked on creating new treatments for pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancer, while she was also praised for bringing awareness to bile duct cancer.
Speaking to GIOncology Now in 2024, Shroff said: "It is our role and responsibility to have clinical trials available to the patients that come to see us and to ideally have a trial available to every single patient that walks through the door to be able to offer them something cutting-edge, different and innovative."
The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation paid tribute to the doctor, stating in a statement that she 'brought fun everywhere she went'.
"Whether she was quoting Beyoncé in a talk about clinical trials or getting us to throw our hands during her amazing Bollywood lesson, Rachna made us live in the moment and laugh, even in the hardest of times. Our hearts are with her family and friends in the days ahead and beyond," they wrote.
"She has made tangible differences for patients and their families throughout her career. From being a valued member of our Science and Medical Advisory Board to helping build one of the nation's largest clinical and research programs in biliary tract cancer as a faculty member at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and as an empathetic and expert clinician, she made a difference in every facet."
Shroff leaves behind her husband, Dr Puneet Shroff, as well as their children, Simran and Sachin.
Callum Jones