Chef Shirley Chung continues to share her cancer journey.
On Monday, April 7, Chung, 48, posted a new update to Instagram regarding her treatment with stage 4 tongue cancer.
The Top Chef alum revealed that she was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer in late July 2024. Then in October, she announced she had completed the first two weeks of her radiation and chemotherapy treatment and got a feeding tube (also known as a “G-tube”) in September.
She completed her 10 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy in mid-December. Shortly after she finished the treatment at the University of Chicago, she returned home to Los Angeles in time for the holiday season.
In the April update, she revealed that the tube was removed, saying it’s “another step towards recovery ❤️🩹.”
She explained in the new update that she received the G-tube during her second week of radiation and chemotherapy treatments because “[the] inside of my mouth and throat were burnt so severely that drinking water felt like rubbing salt on my raw flesh,” adding, “It helped me stay alive.”
“Medicine, water, nutritional shakes, were all fed through it for over 6 months,” she continued. “I am healing, and going to therapy to relearn how to swallow and speak.”
Chung “still have a small part of tongue that’s bleeding,” she wrote.
“But I am well enough to consume meds, water and food through mouth the last 3 weeks,” she continued. She recently completed a procedure that created a small hole on her stomach, which she noted will close in three to five days.
“I completed another chapter of cancer fighting journey ✌️🦄,” she wrote. “Almost There!!”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Several people celebrated Chung’s latest step in her treatment journey in the comment section of her Instagram update.
“So much inspiration and love here. Shirley you are really brave, very magnetic and such a beautiful person. Thank you for sharing these intimate times us. Your fans. ❤️,” fellow Top Chef alum Sam Talbot wrote.
“Incredible. You are just ‘wow!’ I rather kinda like the hair, Shirls!😍. how far you’ve come. 💖,” Casey Thompson added.
Renowned chefs Susan Feniger and Simon Majumdar offered her encouraging messages.
“Shirley..you look amazing… i can’t imagine how challenging this is but you are fighting this in such a powerful way… lots of love…,” Feniger wrote.
“Your way of coming through this journey is so strong. You guided me how to deal with my own cancer journey. And I am forever grateful. Hopefully we will see each other soon on the @foodnetwork stage. 🔥🔥🔥🔥,” Majumdar added.
Read the full article here
