Honestly, it sounded like a bad toothache at first. A little soreness, a bit of a bite on the tongue—the kind of thing you ignore when you’re running a restaurant and filming for the Food Network. But for Shirley Chung, that "dental issue" turned into the fight of her life.
What Happened With Shirley Chung?
The news hit the culinary world like a ton of bricks in mid-2024. Shirley Chung, the "Dumpling Queen" we all fell in love with on Top Chef, announced she was battling stage 4 tongue cancer. Not just a scare. Not early stage. Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma.
It’s the kind of diagnosis that makes your stomach drop. For a chef, your tongue isn't just a part of your body; it’s your most essential tool. It’s your career.
She’d been having issues since December 2023. She was biting her tongue, fracturing teeth, even getting implants. She figured she was just grinding her teeth because of stress. By May 2024, ulcers erupted. Her oral surgeon found a "hidden" tumor underneath her tongue. Within a week, that tumor had basically taken over her entire tongue and spread to her lymph nodes.
The "Unicorn" Choice That Saved Her Tongue
When the doctors first sat her down, the outlook was grim. They gave her "Option 1."
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Surgery. 100% removal of her tongue.
Can you imagine? A chef without a tongue? Shirley broke down. She couldn't even process the words. But her husband, Jimmy Lee, was there holding it together. He asked if there was any other way. That’s when they heard about the "unicorn case."
There was a specific treatment protocol at the University of Chicago. They had successfully treated another chef—Grant Achatz of the world-famous Alinea—years prior using a brutal combination of radiation and heavy chemotherapy instead of radical surgery.
Shirley didn't hesitate. She chose the unicorn path. She packed up, moved to Chicago, and closed her beloved restaurant, Ms. Chi Cafe, in Culver City.
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The Brutal Reality of Treatment
Let’s be real: the treatment was hell. Shirley has been incredibly open about this on Instagram, and it’s not pretty.
She went through 9 weeks of intensive care. That’s 27 rounds of chemo, 50 radiation sessions, and 10 weeks of a 24-hour chemo drip. By October 2024, she had to get a G-tube (feeding tube) inserted into her stomach.
Why? Because the radiation was basically "pouring salt on raw flesh." Her mouth, tongue, and throat were peeling and bleeding. She was waking up every two hours coughing up blood and mucus. She lost 10 pounds in 10 days.
Shirley Chung Chef Cancer: Remission and "2.0"
Here is the good news. The best news, actually.
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By May 2025, Shirley announced she was in 100% remission. The scans came back clean. No cancer cells detected. She celebrated by getting her G-tube removed and starting what she calls "Shirley Chung 2.0."
She isn’t 100% back to normal yet. Relearning how to swallow and speak is a massive undertaking. She’s been in intensive therapy to get her vocal muscles and swallowing reflexes back. By late 2025, she was finally back to eating two solid meals a day and regaining her sense of taste—something she says is about 50% back for sweet and savory notes.
What's Next for the Chef?
She’s already planning her comeback.
In late 2025, it was announced she’d be returning to the screen for Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas. It’s a huge milestone. While she still has two years of regular scans before she is "officially cured," being in remission and back in the kitchen is a victory nobody saw coming when those first ulcers appeared.
Actionable Takeaways from Shirley's Journey
If there is one thing we can take away from this, it’s that "dental issues" aren't always just dental issues.
- Don't ignore the "minor" stuff. If you have a mouth sore or an ulcer that hasn't healed in two weeks, go to an ENT or an oral surgeon. Shirley thought she was just grinding her teeth.
- Seek a second opinion for rare cases. If Shirley had stayed in LA and taken the first option, she would have lost her tongue. Seeking out a specialized "unicorn" treatment at a major research hospital changed her life.
- Advocate for your quality of life. As a chef, she fought for the specific organ that defines her craft. You have the right to ask doctors for alternatives that preserve your lifestyle.
Shirley is still healing. She’s still "Shirley 2.0." But she’s here, she’s cooking, and she’s proving that even a stage 4 diagnosis doesn't have to be the final word.