“Top Chef” alum Shirley Chung revealed she was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer.
The chef, who appeared on Season 11 of the cooking competition series, told her Instagram followers Friday that her doctors discovered the illness in December after she suffered a series of dental issues, including biting her tongue “severely” and fracturing her tooth.
“We thought it was because I am a heavy teeth grinder. And I was too busy to see a EMT specialist,” she wrote alongside photos of herself and her partner, Jimmy, shaving their heads.
By May, Chung said, she had developed ulcers and found a hidden tumor under her tongue, writing, “A few days later, I was diagnosed, stage 4 tongue cancer, as cancer cells also spread into my lymph nodes.”
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“I was very calm when doctors delivered the news, as a chef, I’ve always thrive under pressure,” she continued. “I was extremely focused on getting all the tests and scans as fast as possible, so I can start on the treatment plans.”
However, when her doctor called on June 2 to discuss her treatment options, Chung “broke down, crying, trying to put thoughts together and ask questions but physically couldn’t.”
“All I heard was ‘option 1, surgery, 100% removal of your tongue’ … Jimmy was holding it together for both of us, asking if we have any option that I can keep my tongue and the survival rates,” she said.
Chung continued, “‘There is another option, which was a unicorn case, at University of Chicago, they cured a patient (a chef!) with radiation and chemo, but you will have to go to Chicago’ Higher survival rate, or keep my tongue? I chose to keep my tongue, I am a fighter, I am a chef, I can be that unicorn too.”
She continued, ”I just finished 6 weeks of Chemo (and have many more to go), going to the hospital 4 times a week for injections, it’s like a full time job.”
In a positive update, the chef informed her followers that her tumor has started shrinking, her speech has improved and she’s started to eat more normal food again.
“I am learning to lean on others, to let go, to be more vulnerable,” Chung added.
“It took me 2 weeks of contemplating to decide to tell my parents about my cancer, only my close circle of friends and my sister have known until now.”
The Food Network star concluded her message, promising to return better than before next year.
“I am learning, I can be strong 98% of the time, it’s ok to be not ok. I have a tough long road to recovery in front of me. Your love and support will carry me through,” she said. “Cheer me on, Shirley Chung 2.0 will be reborn in 2025!”
