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

The 47-year-old was a finalist on 'Top Chef' season 11, and was the runner-up in season 14. Photo: TNS

Top Chef alum Shirley Chung is scaling back operations as she undergoes treatment for stage 4 tongue cancer.

The diagnosis came after a “series of dental issues” that included biting her tongue “severely,” then fracturing a tooth that had to be pulled and replaced with an implant, the celebrity chef announced on Instagram. That culminated in mouth ulcers that “erupted” in May, which is when an oral surgeon “discovered a hidden tumour” under her tongue.