University of Arizona Cancer Researcher Dies of Disease She Fought

Rachna Shroff, a prominent cancer researcher at the University of Arizona, has died at the age of 47 from an aggressive cancer. Shroff, who specialized in pancreatic and bile duct cancers, passed away after a battle with the disease she dedicated her career to curing, the American Society of Clinical Oncology announced Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Shroff was diagnosed with terminal adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that begins in the glands lining organs. Initially, doctors suspected lymphoma after examining a swollen lymph node in May, but the cancer had already spread, according to NBC News.

Shroff, who served as the associate director of clinical investigations at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, was married to Dr. Puneet Shroff and was nearing her 20th wedding anniversary. She was also a mother to a 17-year-old daughter, Simran, and a 13-year-old son, Sachin.

In her final months, Shroff achieved several personal milestones, including accompanying her daughter on college visits and attending her son's baseball games. She also initiated a Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award in her name, which has raised over $1.35 million to support research aimed at finding a cure for cancer, fulfilling one of her last wishes.

Shroff, who authored more than 80 publications, reflected on her cancer journey with NBC, stating, "I’ve spent my entire life trying to eradicate cancer, primarily pancreatic cancer but also liver cancers." She lived by the motto, "If you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine," a sentiment echoed by ASCO, which noted her efforts to "be the sunshine" for others even amid her own diagnosis.

Her path in cancer research began in the 1990s when she received the Osler Fellowship Award, leading to an opportunity at the University of Arizona Cancer Center laboratory. She earned a biochemistry degree from Brown University in 2000 and a doctorate in medicine from Thomas Jefferson University in 2004.

Prior to her role at the University of Arizona, Shroff was an associate professor of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston from 2010 to 2018. She joined the University of Arizona in 2018 and became Associate Director of Clinical Research in May 2022.

The university stated that at the Cancer Center, she established a high-performing gastrointestinal oncology program and expanded clinical trials in Southern Arizona, giving patients access to the latest advancements. Her most cherished roles, they added, were those of wife, mother, and friend.

Tributes have poured in for Shroff, with one mourner calling her "genius... incredible, forever an inspiration." Another described her as "a bright light who had an impact on everyone she encountered," while a third expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with her, noting her "dedication to help the most vulnerable of patients."