Chef Shirley Chung’s Return from Stage 4 Tongue Cancer

On May 28, 2024, Chinese-American chef, restaurateur and television personality Shirley Chung was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer. Chung, who is known for her appearances on Top Chef, was told that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and that complete surgical removal of her tongue was her best chance at survival.

She, however, took a bold chance on an alternative treatment option that would allow her to keep her tongue. Today, almost two years following the initial diagnosis, Chung has been cancer-free for more than 16 months and is back to competing in Food Network’s Tournament of Champions. Here is what we know about the journey that led to ‘Shirley 2.0.’

In a social media post shared by Chung on July 27, 2024, the chef shared that since December 2023, she had been going through a “series of dental issues,” which ultimately led to her oral surgeon discovering a tumor under her tongue.

“I was very calm when doctors delivered the news; as a chef, I always thrive under pressure,” recalled Chung.

In early June, however, she broke down when she was told that her first treatment option, which had the highest chance of survival, involved a 100% removal of her tongue. When asked if there was another option, the doctor shared that there was a unicorn case in Chicago, where a patient who was also a chef was cured of tongue cancer using only radiation and chemotherapy.

“I am a fighter, I am a chef, I can be that unicorn too,” said Chung in her post. Hence, she chose to keep her tongue, closed her first restaurant, Ms. Chi Cafe, in August 2024, and moved to Chicago for treatment.

On the 8th of May 2025, Chung revealed ‘Shirley 2.0’ for the first time, following extensive treatment, including 27 chemo sessions, 50 radiation sessions, and a 24-hour chemo drip. “I am 100% in remission!!” she wrote.

Since entering remission, she has been rebuilding her life and career. She opened two restaurants in Dallas: The Night Rooster, a modern fine-dining Chinese restaurant, and The Saint, an Italian steakhouse emphasizing Texan ingredients.

Chung has also been an active voice for cancer research, emphasizing her commitment to the cause by declaring herself an advocate for the American Cancer Society “for the rest of [her] life.” She has been actively involved in Taste of Hope, Chicago, a culinary experience that brings together award-winning chefs and food enthusiasts to celebrate the American Cancer Society’s progress in the fight against cancer.

Chung announced her official return to the Tournament of Champions on the 27th of February, 2026. “Last season, I didn’t know if I could ever taste or talk again, I didn’t know if I would be alive. Now, I am standing proud on the stage of TOC 7, with my army of chef-friend angels, ready to cook the best dishes, because we all know, to cook the best we can is the most respect we can give to our chef competitors.”