A TikTok influencer has died at the age of 27 after a seven-year fight against a rare form of liver cancer. Rachel Yaffe, from Maryland, died on October 11. Tributes started pouring in from the moment news of her death broke. In one of her heartbreaking final posts, she discussed feeling weak after undergoing another session of radiation treatment.
While she appeared cheerful in the video, she also shared that her appetite was beginning to wane, which was clearly reflected in her increasingly fragile appearance. Yaffe, who chronicled her battle with cancer online, said that she sensed something was off during her late teens but attributed it to gluten intolerance.
Chronicling Her Cancer Battle
However, after consulting a doctor who noticed her growing concern, she was referred to a specialist, who found a 20 cm tumor in her liver. A biopsy confirmed that she had fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, a rare type of cancer known for primarily affecting young, otherwise healthy people.
The disease is exceedingly rare, affecting roughly 200 people globally each year. Most cases occur in teenagers and young adults, although instances have been reported in patients as young as two and as old as 74.
Due to the lack of clear symptoms, many patients are diagnosed late, often after the cancer has metastasized from the liver to other areas of the body, making it increasingly more difficult to treat.
The five-year survival rate for stage I fibrolamellar carcinoma is 86 percent, but it drops to 44 percent if the cancer advances to stage II or beyond.
After experiencing abdominal bloating, Yaffe was diagnosed with stage IV fibrolamellar carcinoma and quickly underwent surgery to have the tumor removed.
While she initially thought this would mark the end of her cancer journey, it was merely the beginning, as the cancer reappeared three months later in her liver and lungs.
This prompted her to actively engage in research and healing. Throughout her battle, the former college lacrosse player experimented with various treatments, both conventional and alternative.
Fought a Losing Battle
Many of Yaffe's previous Instagram posts feature images of nutritious meals, as she aimed to nourish her body with dishes like homemade chicken soup and "brown rice noodles with sautéed vegetables."
Reflecting on the changes in her diet throughout her cancer journey, Yaffe shared with her viewers in a TikTok posted this July, "I was plant-based and vegan for quite a long amount of time.
"After going what I've been through and reevaluating my blood work with my new practitioners, we found out that I was pretty deficient in some of the nutrients that I really needed from proteins and fats so I'm actually leaning more into the keto carnivore diet, which is so new for me."
Yaffe moved to New York in September 2023 to be closer to her sister. However, shortly after her relocation, she experienced a significant health crisis in February of this year when her lung began to hemorrhage.
In a TikTok video, Yaffe explained that this occurred because a tumor was pressing on her heart and obstructing airflow to her lung, which resulted in the bleeding.
She underwent several life-saving procedures and was intubated for three days. During this time, her parents consented to her starting radiation and immunotherapy to reduce the tumor and stop the bleeding.
On October 11, an obituary for Yaffe was posted online, providing information about her funeral arrangements.
It reads: "She is survived by her devoted parents, Linda (nee Bass) and Wayne Yaffe; cherished brother and sister, Jordan Yaffe and Jessica Yaffe; dear grandmother, Sydney Bass; and loving dog, Layla."
