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Privacy NoticeShirley Chung, who was a finalist in Season 11 of Top Chef, has revealed that she’s been diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer. The 47-year-old shared an emotional update on Instagram on Friday, shaving her head in preparation for chemotherapy, as her friends behind the camera told her she ‘didn’t have to smile’ as she laughed through the process. In the caption of the photos and videos, the star explained her journey to fans, revealing that her diagnosis came after a “series of dental issues,” as she thought the problem was down to grinding her teeth at first. “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,” Shirley wrote.
Shirley documented the process of shaving her head on Instagram
(Image: Instagram/chfshirleychung and mschicafe)
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“And I was too busy to see a EMT specialist. The end of May, ulcers erupted in my mouth and my oral surgeon discovered a hidden tumour under my tongue. A few days later, I was diagnosed, stage 4 tongue cancer, as cancer cells also spread into my lymph nodes. The star revealed she was ‘very calm’ when the doctors gave her the hard hitting news, crediting it to her career 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.” Shirley then went onto tell her followers that she met with lead oncologist Dr. Allen Ho on June 2 to discuss her treatment plan, where she “ broke down, crying, trying to put thoughts together and ask questions but physically couldn’t.” She was given two options, one with a higher survival rate, where she would have to remove her tongue, or radiation and chemotherapy, which saw medics ‘cure’ a patient, which they called a ‘unicorn case’. “I 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,’” she recalled. “[Husband] 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 was then told about a ‘unicorn case’ at the University of Chicago where they were able to “cure” a patient through radiation and chemotherapy. “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,” Shirley revealed. Sign up to OK!’s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
The star carried on smiling throughout the video
(Image: Instagram/chfshirleychung and mschicafe)
The Top Chef star, who also competed in Season 14 revealed she had just finished six weeks of chemo and still has ‘many more’ to go. Shirley then gave fans an positive update on her health, as 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. “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!” Shirley positively concluded the post. Shirley was surrounded by supportive friends and fans in the comments, as chef Alex Guarnaschelli penned: “Sending you so much love. Don’t be a chef at this time. Be a person who’s cool with getting support and love. You are loved all around you. Sending you positive vibes. Very brave of you to share with us.” “This cancer clearly hasn’t met Shirley Chung. Like, why would you even try? Don’t you know what kind of warrior she is?! I’m praying for you Shirley. Can’t wait to celebrate with you when this is all over! God bless you and keep you,” wrote chef Aarti Sequeira.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterComment
