‘Top Chef’ star Shirley Chung diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer

Top Chef Alum Shirley Chung revealed she was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer the chef who appeared on season 11 of the cooking competition series told her Instagram followers Friday that her doctors discovered the illness in December after she suffered a series of dental issues including biting her tongue severely and fracturing her tooth we thought it was because I am a heavy teeth grinder and I was too busy to see a EMT specialist She Wrote alongside photos of herself and her partner Jimmy shaving their heads by May Chong said she had developed ulcers and found a hidden tumor under her tongue writing a few days later I was diagnosed stage 4 tongue cancer as cancer cells also spread into my lymph nodes I was very calm when doctors delivered the news as a chef I've always Thrive Under Pressure she continued I was extremely focused on getting all the tests and scans as fast as possible so I can start on the treatment plans however when her doctor called on June 2nd to discuss her treatment options Chung broke down crying trying to put thoughts together and ask questions but physically couldn't all I heard was option one 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 she said Chung continued 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 she continued I just finished 6 weeks of chemo and have many more to go going to the hospital four times a week for injections it's like a full-time job in a positive update the chef informed her followers that her tumor has started shrinking Her speech has improved and she started to eat more normal food again I am learning to lean on others to let go to be more vulnerable Chong added 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 the Food Network star concluded her message promising to return better than before next year