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What type of cancer did Sydney Towle have? Cause of death revealed as TikToker dies at 26
Sydney Towle, a TikTok creator with over one million followers, has died at 26 after battling an uncommon type of cancer.
TikTok creator Sydney Towle, who documented her battle with a rare form of cancer and built a community of more than one million followers, has died at the age of 26. Her death was announced on her social media pages on August 6, a day after she passed away.
Towle died on August 5, three years after being diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, an aggressive and uncommon cancer that typically affects older adults.
Cholangiocarcinoma
Towle was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma at the age of 23, an unusually young age for the disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, bile duct cancer begins in the slender tubes that carry bile, a digestive fluid, from the liver. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, fatigue, fever and night sweats, and the disease most commonly affects people over the age of 50.
After her diagnosis, Towle underwent multiple surgeries, several chemotherapy treatments and participated in clinical trials as she continued to share updates about her health on TikTok and Instagram.
In May 2026, she revealed that her cancer had spread to the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen and pelvis. She later told People that one of her oncologists had advised her to begin hospice and end-of-life care instead of continuing treatment.
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"I was definitely in complete shock because... no one had ever mentioned hospice or end-of-life care," Towle told the magazine. She ultimately sought treatment from another specialist and continued pursuing an experimental tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy trial.
Final days
On August 4, Towle's older brother, Austin, shared that she had entered hospice care, posting a photo of family and friends gathered around her hospital bed. Two days later, her social media accounts confirmed she had died.
"We will always love you so much Sydney," the post read. “I am so proud of how hard you fought. I love you.” The tribute described her as “an endless ray of sunshine. A daughter, a sister and friend to so many.”
Despite her diagnosis, Towle remained active on social media, using her platform to raise awareness about young adults living with cancer. She also appeared at Miami Swim Week earlier this year, walking in The Chemo Club x Post Swim runway show, which celebrated people living with or recovering from cancer.
Speaking to People, Towle said connecting with others gave her strength during her treatment.
"What's really kept me going is the people who message me or even come up to me and say, 'You've helped me so much,'" she said. “Just knowing that being vulnerable and real about cancer is making a difference, that's been huge for me.”
