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Sydney Towle Dies at 26 After Three-Year Fight With Rare Bile Duct Cancer

Family confirmed her death as her yearslong public chronicle drew attention to experimental immunotherapy, community support, rare‑cancer advocacy

Overview

  • Her family said Sydney Towle went peacefully on Wednesday, Aug. 5, after an almost three-year battle with cholangiocarcinoma.
  • Towle’s brother announced on Tuesday that she had been moved to hospice and was surrounded by friends and family before her death.
  • Over three years she underwent multiple surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy and in recent months participated in a tumor‑infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) immunotherapy trial reported by clinical sources.
  • Towle built a large online community—about 1.1 million followers on TikTok—by sharing candid treatment updates, fundraising for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation and modeling in projects like The Chemo Club runway.
  • Her public story has raised awareness of young‑onset cholangiocarcinoma, highlighted the limits of current treatments and focused attention on experimental immunotherapies and the need for more research and patient support