SHIRLEY Chung has shared a health update amid her tongue cancer battle as she shared a smiley new selfie.
The Top Chef star, 48, left her fans stunned in May 2024 when she revealed she had been diagnosed with stage four cancer.
At the time, Shirley said it was determined the cancer had “spread into my lymph nodes.”
Medics offered her the choice of removing her tongue in a bid to eradicate the cancer.
She became determined not to have the surgery after her oncologist told her about a “unicorn case” at the University of Chicago – a chef who was cured with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.
Now, in a fresh health update with her fans, the chef kept a positive outlook as she posed for a sweet mirror selfie showing off her short black hair.
She wrote: “Heyyyyy loves, small update on my cancer journey. Today, I had my G-Tube removed! Another step towards recovery.
“This G-tube first installed into me on last year September, during my second week of Radiation +Chemo treatments in @uchicago when inside of my mouth and throat were burnt so severely that drinking water felt like rubbing salt on my raw flesh.
“It helped me stay alive, medicine, water, nutritional shakes, were all fed through it for over 6 months.“
Shirley informed fans she had part of her tongue removed with surgery and she is going to therapy to relearn how to speak and swallow.
She continued: “I still have a small part of my tongue that’s bleeding, but I am well enough to consume meds, water and food through mouth the last 3 weeks.“
Shirley finished in third place on season 11 of Bravo’s Top Chef.
She returned to the show in season 14 as Shirley faced off against winner Brooke Williamson in the finals.
In 2022, she joined the Food Network’s Tournament of Champions hosted by Guy Fiery.
