Tiktok's beloved Rachel Yaffe loses her battle with rare cancer
American social media is in mourning due to news from the family of Rachel Yaffe, a TikToker who battled a rare liver cancer for seven years. Her loved ones have announced that her fight has come to an end.
11:38 AM EDT, October 16, 2024
Cancer can affect anyone. Though it may sound like a cliché, each year, 19-20 million people worldwide learn that an unwelcome, deadly visitor has taken residence in their bodies. The World Health Organization forecasts that by 2040, this number could rise to 30 million annually. Many people think it's better not to undergo screenings, fearing that doctors might find something. The real enemy, however, should not be the diagnosis itself but the disease taking hold in the body. Sometimes, despite years of treatment and multiple surgeries, cancer wins. Such situations occur regardless of the victim's age, gender, religion, or financial status.
American TikToker lost her battle with a rare cancer
Rachel Yaffe was a 27-year-old American whose TikTok content mainly focused on topics related to her treatment for a rare cancer, fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. This disease primarily affects young, healthy individuals. Each year, 200 people worldwide receive this diagnosis. Rachel learned about her condition when she was just 20 years old. In her videos, she explained that she went to the doctor because she felt something was "not right." Her doctor, noticing her concern, referred her to an oncologist, who discovered the reason for her discomfort: an eight-inch tumor on her liver. Further tests confirmed that the cells forming the growth were fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma.
Rachel Yaffe fought with all her might for seven years to combat the malignant cancer. During treatment, the disease progressed to stage IV—the most severe and usually incurable stage. Despite surgeries to remove the tumor, cancer cells returned, affecting her liver and lungs.
A meat diet was supposed to save the patient
The TikToker placed great importance on healthy eating. Her account was full of recipes and unboxing videos from local farmers' markets. One of the biggest changes in Rachel Yaffe's life was transitioning from veganism to a keto-carnivore diet.
In a video, the influencer explained: "I was plant-based vegan for quite a long amount 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."
TikToker lost her battle with cancer
While battling the disease, Rachel underwent several life-saving surgeries and was also intubated. Doctors tried treatment with radiation therapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and proton therapy. Despite these efforts, the TikToker weakened and faded with each passing day. The last video on her account was published on September 1, 2024. In it, she mentioned that she had lost much strength due to radiation therapy, but she was trying not to lose hope and to move around, which was easier in the big city of New York. Yaffe added that she was still sticking to her diet to support her body in fighting cancer. "I [have] a pretty low appetite so its been a little bit difficult both physically and mentally but I'm working on just focusing on the small things that that bring me joy. I'm really, really, really prioritizing my mental health as well," summarized Rachel.
On October 11, 2024, Rachel Yaffe's family published an obituary announcing the death of the courageous influencer. The announcement read: "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."
