Passing of Dr Rachna Shroff
Rachna T. Shroff, a prominent gastrointestinal cancer expert and volunteer leader for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, died following a battle with an aggressive cancer, according to The ASCO Post.
Dr. Shroff served as a professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson prior to her passing.
She also held roles as the associate director of clinical investigations and co-leader of the gastrointestinal clinical research team at the University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, alongside her work as medical director for the oncology service line with Banner Health.
Expanding Clinical Trial Access for Patients
Dr. Shroff spent the first eight years of her medical career at MD Anderson Cancer Center after finishing her training. She later returned to Arizona, where she grew up, to join the faculty at the University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Her research focused primarily on pancreatic and biliary tract cancers, where she worked to expand clinical trial access for patients.
“It is our role and responsibility to have clinical trials available to the patients that come to see us and to ideally have a trial available to every single patient that walks through the door, to be able to offer them something cutting-edge, different, and innovative,” Dr. Shroff stated in an interview cited by The ASCO Post.
Mentoring Early-Career Oncologists
Dr. Shroff maintained a deep involvement with the American Society of Clinical Oncology throughout her career. She participated in the 2021-2022 ASCO Leadership Development Program, won election to the ASCO Nominating Committee, and chaired the Cancer Communications Committee.
Her service included working as an ASCO Daily News associate editor, serving on the ASCO Meeting & Member Publications Editorial Board, and reviewing for JCO Journals. She also mentored early-career oncologists through ASCO’s Virtual Mentoring Program, Oncology Summer Internship, and Women’s Networking Center.
Reflecting on her professional home, she stated, “ASCO has been so integral in my development as a leader and as an oncologist… [It] is, in my opinion, the best professional society that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with…. [My] favorite time of day, I always say, is whenever I’m doing something for ASCO,” as reported by The ASCO Post.
Endowed Biliary Cancer Research Award
Friends, colleagues, and supporters raised $1.35 million to create an endowed Conquer Cancer – Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, FASCO Young Investigator Award in Biliary Cancer.
The new endowment ensures that a new biliary cancer researcher will receive funding every year in perpetuity. Donations to support the memorial fund are processed through Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, which is registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity in Virginia, according to support.conquer.org.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Memorial Fund
How can people contribute to the memorial award?
Donations to support the Conquer Cancer – Rachna Shroff Young Investigator Award in Biliary Cancer can be made directly through the Conquer Cancer Foundation website at https://support.conquer.org/page/201462/donate/1#herownwords.
Are donations to Conquer Cancer tax-deductible?
Contributions to Conquer Cancer may be tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, according to filings from support.conquer.org.
What specific type of cancer did Dr. Shroff specialize in?
Dr. Shroff specialized in gastrointestinal cancers, with a particular focus on pancreatic and biliary tract cancers, according to The ASCO Post.
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