Dr. Rachna Shroff, a prominent gastrointestinal cancer researcher and associate director of clinical investigations at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, has died at the age of 47 after a brief battle with terminal adenocarcinoma, according to announcements from the university and professional medical societies.
Dr. Shroff passed away following a battle with an aggressive cancer, leaving behind a profound legacy in the study and treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. Best known for her international expertise in cholangiocarcinoma—a rare cancer of the bile ducts—as well as pancreatic and liver cancers, she spent her career trying to push forward clinical trials and expand access to cutting-edge therapies for vulnerable patients. Over the course of her distinguished career, she authored more than 80 scientific publications and delivered more than 130 professional presentations.
From a Tucson Lab Fellowship to International Oncology Leadership
Her connection to cancer research began early. She completed her undergraduate studies in biochemistry at Brown University and earned her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University. She completed her fellowship with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2010 and served as associate professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2010 to 2018, when she returned to Tucson after being recruited to the University of Arizona. She was the inaugural John F. and Valli S. Duval Endowed Professor for Gastrointestinal Oncology and served as chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the College of Medicine – Tucson.
Faced with her own cancer diagnosis, Dr. Rachna Shroff never stopped inspiring others. She raised over $1.35M to endow the Conquer Cancer – Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, FASCO Young Investigator Award in Biliary Cancer to ensure research will continue year after year. We are grateful…
A Sudden Diagnosis and Unwavering Professional Commitment
Earlier this year, Dr. Shroff noticed a swollen lymph node in May. Testing revealed that the disease had already spread, originating most likely in the stomach or intestine, although its precise origin was never established. Although her medical team initially suspected lymphoma—a cancer of the blood—further evaluations confirmed terminal adenocarcinoma, a cancer that arises in the cells lining the body’s organs.
It’s been a journey.
Dr. Rachna Shroff, via Today
Dr. Dan Theodorescu, director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center and her supervisor, noted that she had helped advance hundreds of clinical trials, successfully built the institution’s clinical trial operation effectively, and recruited talented younger researchers to the center while managing her own studies and seeing patients.
Endowing the Future of Biliary Cancer Research
Even while facing a life-limiting prognosis, one of her final wishes in September was to establish the Conquer Cancer – Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, FASCO Endowed Young Investigator Award in Biliary Cancers. Within weeks, she achieved her goal of raising more than $1.35 million.
Nationally, she was an active participant in the 2021-2022 ASCO Leadership Development Program, was elected to the ASCO Nominating Committee, served as Chair of the Cancer Communications Committee, worked as an ASCO Daily News Associate Editor, served on the ASCO Meeting & Member Publications Editorial Board, and acted as a peer reviewer for JCO Journals. Colleagues across the oncology community remembered her not only for her scientific rigor and leadership but also for her personal motto: If you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.
Family Legacy and Surviving Relatives
Outside of her demanding clinical and academic roles, Dr. Shroff’s most cherished roles were those of wife, mother and friend. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Puneet Shroff, and their two children, daughter Simran, 17, and son Sachin, 13.
