Current:Home > MyTop Chef's Shirley Chung Shares Stage 4 Tongue Cancer Diagnosis -TradeBridge
Top Chef's Shirley Chung Shares Stage 4 Tongue Cancer Diagnosis
View
Date:2025-04-13 23:45:13
Shirley Chung has some difficult news.
The Top Chef alum shared that she has been diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer after doctors found a tumor under her tongue in May. The diagnosis came following a series of dental issues that started in December.
"I was very calm when doctors delivered the news," Shirley wrote on Instagram July 26, "as a chef, I've always thrive under pressure. I was extremely focused on getting all the tests and scans as fast as possible, so I can start on the treatment plans."
However, Shirley soon faced a difficult choice when it came to her health journey: She could undergo surgery to have her tongue removed or go through a more experimental treatment in Chicago that had would use radiation and chemo to remove the cancer, which she said had previously worked in "a unicorn case."
"Higher survival rate, or keep my tongue?" she wrote. "I chose to keep my tongue, I am a fighter, I am a chef, I can be that unicorn too."
The 47-year-old explained that she "just finished 6 weeks of Chemo" and had many more sessions ahead of her. However, she is already starting to see some improvements in her condition.
"My tumor is shrinking, my speech is much better and I can eat most normal food now," Shirley said in her post. "I am learning to lean on others, to let go, to be more vulnerable. I am learning, I can be strong 98% of the time, it's ok to be not ok."
Looking at the "tough long road to recovery in front of me," the chef added to her followers, "Cheer me on, Shirley Chung 2.0 will be reborn in 2025!"
To focus on her health, Shirley and husband Jimmy Lee made the difficult decision to close their Los Angeles-based restaurant Ms Chi Café.
"We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of you," they posted to Instagram July 26, "our staff, supporters, and fans. We have truly enjoyed spreading the dumpling love over the last several years and calling Culver City our home!"
Still, Shirley is adamant on keeping a positive attitude throughout her health journey. In a video shared to Instagram on the same day, she cracked jokes as she shaved her head for chemotherapy.
"What kind of egg do I look like?" Shirley quipped. "A duck egg? A goose egg? A chicken egg?"
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (311)
Related
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- New York City Marathon: Everything there is to know about this year's five-borough race
- Oregon must get criminal defendants attorneys within 7 days or release them from jail, judge says
- Tensions spike in Rio de Janeiro ahead of Copa Libertadores soccer final and after Copacabana brawl
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Two former Northwestern football players say they experienced racism in program in 2000s
- Former Missouri officer pleads guilty after prosecutors say he kicked a suspect in the head
- More medical gloves are coming from China, as U.S. makers of protective gear struggle
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried convicted of stealing billions from customers and investors
Ranking
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Hunter Biden: I fought to get sober. Political weaponization of my addiction hurts more than me.
- Shohei Ohtani headlines 130-player MLB free agent class
- House passes GOP-backed $14.3 billion Israel aid bill despite Biden veto threat
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Vanessa Hudgens Reveals Why She's So Overwhelmed Planning Her Wedding to Cole Tucker
- Former Missouri officer pleads guilty after prosecutors say he kicked a suspect in the head
- Illinois city tickets reporter for asking too many questions, in latest First Amendment dustup
Recommendation
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Shohei Ohtani headlines 130-player MLB free agent class
Behati Prinsloo Reveals Sex of Baby No. 3 With Adam Levine Nearly a Year After Giving Birth
Emotional outburst on live TV from Gaza over death of reporter encapsulates collective grief
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
3 books in translation for fall that are big — in different ways
Vanessa Hudgens Reveals Why She's So Overwhelmed Planning Her Wedding to Cole Tucker
New York City Marathon: Everything there is to know about this year's five-borough race