Arizona University cancer researcher dies of the disease she fought to cure; her final wish was to raise $1.35 million for cancer research

Dr. Rachna Shroff, a cancer researcher at the University of Arizona, has died at the age of 47 from the same disease she was trying to cure. As per a report of the New York Post, she was diagnosed with terminal adenocarcinoma earlier this year. Notably, she was widely recognised for her expertise in pancreatic and bile duct cancers. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) confirmed Rachna's death saying "she passed away following a battle with an aggressive cancer”.

What happened to Dr Rachna Shroff?

Rachna was diagnosed with terminal adenocarcinoma earlier this year. It is a type of cancer that starts in the glands and lines a patient’s organs.Initially, doctors examined a swollen lymph node and ruled it as lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, but the cancer had spread, NBC News reported.

Who was Dr. Rachna Shroff?

Shroff started working on cancer research in the 1990s after receiving the Osler Fellowship in 1993 and got an opportunity to work at U of A Cancer Center laboratory.


She later graduated from the Brown University with a degree in biochemistry in 2000 before earning her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University in 2004.

Shroff subsequently joined MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, where she worked as an associate professor. She returned to the University of Arizona in 2018, continuing her work in gastrointestinal oncology and cancer research.

In May 2022, she took on the role of associate director of clinical research at the University of Arizona Cancer Center.

Shroff is survived by her husband, Dr. Puneet Shroff, and their two children: daughter Simran, 17, and son Sachin, 13. Despite battling cancer, she recently visited colleges with her daughter and attended her son's baseball games. She and her husband were also approaching their 20th wedding anniversary.

Dr. Shroff's contribution to cancer research

Throughout her career, Shroff authored more than 80 publications and focused on developing innovative clinical trials, particularly for patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

“At the Cancer Center, she built a high-performing gastrointestinal oncology program and, through her expansion of clinical trials in Southern Arizona, worked to ensure patients could access the latest scientific advances,” the university said in a statement.

As per the statement, even after receiving her own cancer diagnosis, Shroff remained committed to supporting others.

She viewed her personal battle with the disease as a renewed motivation to help advance cancer treatment. “If you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine,” was her personal motto, the university added.

Infact, one of Shroff's final initiatives was to establish the Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award, with a goal of raising more than $1.35 million for cancer research in her name. The University of Arizona described the initiative as one of her final wishes, reflecting her determination to support future generations of cancer researchers.