Dr. Rachna Shroff, a University of Arizona cancer researcher who specialised in pancreatic and bile duct cancers, has died at 47 after battling the disease she spent her career trying to eradicate.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology announced that she “passed away following a battle with an aggressive cancer.”
Shroff, a mother of two, was diagnosed with terminal adenocarcinoma earlier this year after doctors examined a swollen lymph node in May and discovered that the cancer had spread.
Despite her diagnosis, she continued to reflect on her lifelong mission to help patients. Speaking to NBC News, she said, “I’ve spent my entire life trying to eradicate cancer, primarily pancreatic cancer but also liver cancers.”
The researcher, who authored more than 80 publications, also launched a Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award in her name. More than $1.35 million has reportedly been raised for cancer research, which the University of Arizona described as “one of her final wishes.”
