Rachna Shroff, Indian-American oncologist, dies at 47

Widely respected for her work on cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile ducts, Dr Shroff helped advance treatment options for a disease that historically had few effective therapies. She authored more than 80 scientific publications and delivered over 130 professional presentations during her career.

Even while battling cancer herself, Dr Shroff continued to champion research into the disease. In September, she launched the Conquer Cancer–Rachna Shroff FASCO Endowed Young Investigator Award in Biliary Cancers and helped raise more than $1.35 million within weeks to support future research and innovation.

Raised in Tucson by a biochemist father and a nephrologist mother, Dr Shroff developed an early interest in cancer research. As a high school student, she received the 1993 Osler Fellowship, which enabled her to work in a laboratory at the University of Arizona Cancer Center.

After completing her undergraduate studies at Brown University and earning her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University, she undertook a fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2010. She remained on the MD Anderson faculty until 2018, when she returned to Tucson to join the University of Arizona.

Her research focused on cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer and other hepatobiliary malignancies. She led numerous clinical trials that helped advance treatment strategies for biliary cancers and earned national recognition for her contributions to gastrointestinal oncology.

Dr Shroff also served as co-chair of the Hepatobiliary Subcommittee of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) and chaired GI ASCO 2024, a major gastrointestinal cancer conference organised by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

After returning to Arizona in 2018, she established and expanded the gastrointestinal oncology programme at the cancer centre, while working to improve patient access to clinical trials across southern Arizona. Her research focused on novel drug therapies and immunological approaches to treating difficult-to-treat cancers.

In its tribute, the university said that beyond her professional achievements, Dr Shroff most cherished her roles as a wife, mother and friend.

She is survived by her husband, Puneet Shroff, a physician and professor of medicine; their children, Simran Shroff and Sachin Shroff; her parents, Devendar Trivedi and Amita Trivedi; and her sister, Neema Sahni.