{"id":115207,"date":"2024-07-31T03:35:45","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T03:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/31\/top-chef-alum-shirley-chung-diagnosed-with-stage-4-tongue-cancer\/"},"modified":"2024-07-31T03:35:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T03:35:45","slug":"top-chef-alum-shirley-chung-diagnosed-with-stage-4-tongue-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/31\/top-chef-alum-shirley-chung-diagnosed-with-stage-4-tongue-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Chef Alum Shirley Chung Diagnosed With Stage 4 Tongue Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Shirley Chung<\/span> Michael Tullberg\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Top Chef<\/em> <\/a>alum Shirley Chung<\/strong> has been diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer.<\/p>\n

Sharing the news via social media on Friday, July 26, Chung, 47, detailed receiving the diagnosis after an oral surgeon found a \u201chidden tumor\u201d under her tongue in May.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince 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\u2026 we thought it was because I am a heavy teeth grinder,\u201d Chung, who was a finalist on season 11 of Top Chef, <\/em>which premiered in 2013, wrote via Instagram<\/a>. \u201cThe end of May, ulcers erupted in my mouth and 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The heartbreaking post also included a video and several photos of the reality TV star shaving off her hair as friends and family stood by her.<\/p>\n

Chung, who also competed in season 14 of the reality cooking show<\/a>, which premiered in 2016, explained that her time in the kitchen helped her to process the shocking news calmly. \u201cI was very calm when doctors delivered the news,\u201d she wrote. \u201cAs a chef, I\u2019ve always thrive [sic] under pressure. I was extremely focused on getting all the tests and scans as fast as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chung, also known as \u201cThe Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles,\u201d then detailed how the gravity of the situation sunk in when Dr. Allen Ho<\/strong>, the lead oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, phoned her to discuss treatment plans on June 2.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI broke down, crying, trying to put thoughts together and ask questions but physically couldn\u2019t, all I heard was \u201coption 1, surgery, 100% removal of your tongue,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n

Chung credited her husband, Jimmy<\/strong>, for \u201cholding it together for both of us,\u201d as well as pushing back on a total removal of Chung\u2019s tongue. Thankfully, the pair were told of a \u201cunicorn case\u201d from the University of Chicago that managed to cure a fellow chef through radiation and chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigher 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,\u201d Chung wrote.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>‘Top Chef’ Winners: Where Are They Now?<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tSince its debut in 2006, Top Chef has crowned a series of champions across the world \u2014 and shows no signs of slowing down. Each season, the reality show auditions a series of chefs in a new location which serves as the theme. Typically, at least 12 chefs end up competing against one another to [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The chef, who is the co-owner and executive chef of Ms Chi Cafe in Culver City, added that she had just completed six weeks\u2019 of chemotherapy \u201cand have many more to go,\u201d comparing the regular treatment to a \u201cfull time job.\u201d<\/p>\n

In remarkably positive news, Chung revealed the tumor \u201cis shrinking,\u201d her speech has improved and she \u201ccan eat most normal food now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her resilience also shone through in the post\u2019s final words. \u201cI am learning, I can be strong 98% of the time, it\u2019s 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,\u201d Chung wrote. \u201cCheer me on, Shirley Chung 2.0 will be reborn in 2025!\u201d<\/p>\n

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