Former Miss India Tripura Rinky Chakma passes away at 28 after lengthy battle with cancer

Former Miss India Tripura Rinky Chakma passed away this week after a lengthy battle with cancer. The former beauty queen was diagnosed with malignant phyllodes tumour — a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer two years ago. Chakma had been crowned Miss India Tripura in 2017 and won the addition titles of ‘Miss Congeniality’ and ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ during the pageant.  

“Rinky was truly a force to be reckoned with, embodying grace and purpose. Representing Tripura at the Femina Miss India 2017 pageant, she was honored with the title of Miss Beauty with a Purpose, a testament to her impactful endeavors and compassionate spirit,” the Miss India Instagram handle recalled. 

Chakma took to Instagram in late January to reveal her health struggles after an extensive social media hiatus. At the time she had been undergoing chemotherapy sessions and awaiting brain surgery. 

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“I was diagnosed with Malignant phyllodes tumour (breast cancer in 2022). After i had my first surgery , it metastasized into my lungs and now in my head (brain tumor). My brain surgery is still pending as it's already widespread all my right side of my body till my lungs and it will only be possible if i heal with chemotherapy first with just 30% hope,” she wrote in the caption. 

Chakma was hospitalised in a critical state on February 22 after one of her lungs almost stopped functioning. She passed away at a Delhi hospital mere days later.

What is malignant phyllodes tumor?

According to data shared by the US government run National Library of Medicine, malignant phyllodes tumor is a rare tumor of the breast that typically occurs in females aged between 35 and 55 years. They account for 0.3 to 1% of all primary breast tumors and 2.5% of all fibroepithelial breast tumors.