Top Chef’s Shirley Chung faced ‘100% tongue removal’ as cancer treatment option
Top Chef alum Shirley Chung reveals she’s closing her restaurant Mrs Chi temporarily while she focuses on recovery during her cancer treatment. The chef and Bravo star takes to social media to share an update on her life this July. Bravo fans were first introduced to Shirley Chung when she appeared as a Top Chef: […]
Top Chef alum Shirley Chung reveals she’s closing her restaurant Mrs Chi temporarily while she focuses on recovery during her cancer treatment. The chef and Bravo star takes to social media to share an update on her life this July.
Bravo fans were first introduced to Shirley Chung when she appeared as a Top Chef: New Orleans contestant in 2013. She appeared in season 11 and later returned to season 14. Shirley competed on Top Chef: Charleston in 2016 and finished the show as a runner-up to Brooke Williamson.
Top Chef Shirley Chung’s cancer diagnosis
Taking to Instagram this July, Chef Shirley explains how she found out she had cancer.
“Since last year December, I had a series of dental issues, I bit my tongue severely; I fractured my tooth and had to extract it and get an implant… we thought it was because I am a heavy teeth grinder…”
The former Top Chef contestant adds how she was “too busy to see an EMT specialist,” and by “the end of May, ulcers erupted” in her mouth.
She continues: “…My oral surgeon discovered a hidden tumor under my tongue. A few days later, I was diagnosed, stage 4 tongue cancer, as cancer cells also spread into my lymph nodes.”
Top Chef alum is a ‘warrior’
When doctors gave Shirley the news, she explains she was “very calm” as she’s “always thrived under pressure as a chef.”
She pens: “I was extremely focused on getting all the tests and scans as fast as possible, so I can start on the treatment plans.”
But, on Sunday June 2, she adds how she “broke down” while speaking to her lead oncologist at Cedar Sinai hospital, Dr Ho.
As she discussed treatment plans with the doctor, she explains how she: “…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 ‘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.”
The chef and TV star has just finished six weeks of Chemotherapy.
She writes of how she has “many more weeks to go,” and also has to go to the hospital “four times a week for injections.”
Shirly adds: “My tumor is shrinking, my speech is much better and I can eat most normal food now. I am learning to lean on others, to let go, to be more vulnerable… it took me two 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. 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. Cheer me on, Shirley Chung 2.0 will be reborn in 2025!”
Many of her fans and friends take to the comments of her post to share how much they love her. One writes: “You’ve got this!” and more send her “love and strength.”
In the US, contact Cancer Care at 800‑813‑HOPE (4673) or visit this link. You can also call the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-234 or visit their website.
In the UK you can call Breast Cancer Now free on 0808 800 6000 or visit Cancer Research UK , or Macmillan Cancer Support.