"Top Chef" star Shirley Chung said she has stage 4 tongue cancer and is closing her California restaurant Ms Chi Cafe.
The Beijing-born chef established herself in the culinary world when she competed in "Top Chef" season 11, finishing third in the show, which aired from 2013 to 2014, according to the Independent. She returned for season 14 and also appeared on "Top Chef Duels," a spinoff.
She opened up about her cancer diagnosis in an Instagram post accompanied by a video where she is seen shaving her head.
"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," Chung said, noting that at the time she was "too busy" to see a specialist. In May, however, an oral surgeon discovered a tumor hidden under her tongue.
"A few days later, I was diagnosed, stage 4 tongue cancer, as cancer cells also spread into my lymph nodes," she continued. "I was very calm when doctors delivered the news, as a chef, I've always [thrived] 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.”
In her post, Chung said she later "broke down, crying" after being told that her best option was surgery to remove her tongue. There was a second option — radiation and chemo.
Faced with either losing her tongue or having a lower survival rate, Chung said she chose the latter.
"I chose to keep my tongue, I am a fighter, I am a chef..." she wrote.
"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 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," she wrote.
"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!"
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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