'Top Chef' star Shirley Chung diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer — and she's chosen to keep her tongue
Shirley Chung, “Top Chef” alum and restaurateur, announced she’s been diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer.
Shirley Chung, “Top Chef” alum and restaurateur, announced she’s been diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer.
“Hiiiii loves, I have some personal news to share with you,” Chung wrote in the caption of her Instagram post on July 26. The post includes a slideshow of photos and video of Chung shaving her head while receiving cancer treatment.
The Beijing-born chef detailed a series of dental issues she’d been experiencing since December, including “severely” biting her tongue, fracturing a tooth and the development of ulcers in her mouth. While she initially thought it was all because of her heavy teeth grinding, an oral surgeon discovered a tumor under her tongue while treating the ulcers.
“A few days later,” she wrote, “I was diagnosed.”
Chung goes on to say she was “very calm” when she first heard the news, adding that she’s always been someone who thrives 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.”
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