Who was Rachna Shroff? Indian-American cancer specialist who continued working while living with life-limiting cancer

Dr Shroff was associate director of clinical investigations at the University of Arizona Cancer Center and chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the university’s College of Medicine–Tucson. She was internationally recognised for her work on cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile ducts, as well as pancreatic and other hepatobiliary cancers.

Dr Shroff came from an Indian-origin family and was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Her mother, Amita Trivedi, was a nephrologist, while her father, Devendar Trivedi, was a biochemist. Her family background and her own scientific interests helped shape her early career, although she built her professional life in the United States

Dr Shroff’s interest in cancer research began while she was still in school. In 1993, she received the Osler Fellowship, which gave her the opportunity to work in a laboratory at the University of Arizona Cancer Center.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Brown University and a medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University. She subsequently completed her medical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2010 and remained on its faculty until 2018, when she returned to Arizona.

Over the course of her career, she authored more than 80 scientific publications and delivered over 130 professional presentations. She also led clinical trials investigating new treatments for biliary cancers and contributed to research into pancreatic cancer and other difficult-to-treat malignancies. Her leadership roles included co-chairing the Hepatobiliary Subcommittee of the Southwest Oncology Group and chairing the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s GI ASCO 2024 meeting.

Even while living with a life-limiting cancer, Dr Shroff continued working to advance research and treatment options for other patients.

In September, she helped establish the Conquer Cancer–Rachna Shroff FASCO Endowed Young Investigator Award in Biliary Cancers. The initiative raised more than $1.35 million within weeks to support future researchers working on biliary cancers.

Her work helped advance a field in which treatment options had historically been limited. Following her return to Arizona, she expanded the university’s gastrointestinal oncology programme and worked to improve access to clinical trials for patients across southern Arizona.