Rekubit Exchange:'Top Chef' star Shirley Chung diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer

"Top Chef" star Shirley Chung has shared that she is Rekubit Exchangebattling stage 4 tongue cancer.

The chef announced the news in an Instagram post Friday and told fans that she was diagnosed after suffering from a series of dental issues since December.

"I bit my tongue severely; I fractured my tooth and had to extract it and get an implant … we thought it was because I am a heavy teeth grinder," she wrote. "And I was too busy to see a EMT specialist."

"The end of May, ulcers erupted in my mouth and my oral surgeon discovered a hidden tumor under my tongue. A few days later, I was diagnosed, stage 4 tongue cancer, as cancer cells also spread into my lymph nodes."

According to the Cleveland Clinic, tongue cancer is "one of the most common types of head and neck cancers" but makes up less than 1% of new diagnoses in the U.S.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Chung said that she discussed treatment plans in June with her doctor, who said the first option was surgery to completely remove her tongue. Her other option was described as a "unicorn case," as at the University of Chicago, a patient — who happened to also be a chef — was cured with radiation and chemotherapy. She decided to pursue this course of action in hopes of not having to lose her tongue.

Top Chef' hostKristen Kish on replacing Padma Lakshmi, what to expect from Season 21

"Higher survival rate, or keep my tongue?" she wrote. "I chose to keep my tongue, I am a fighter, I am a chef, I can be that unicorn too."

Chung said she has now completed six weeks of chemotherapy but has "many more" to go, and she is going to the hospital four times a week for injections. Her tumor is now "shrinking," her speech "is much better" and she can eat "most normal food," but "I have a tough long road to recovery in front of me," she said.

'Top Chef Masters' starNaomi Pomeroy dies at 49 in tubing accident

The chef also shared a video of herself getting her head shaved. "What kind of egg do I look like?" she joked in the clip.

Chung was a finalist on Season 11 of "Top Chef," and she has also appeared on "Top Chef Jr," "Top Chef Amateurs," "Top Chef Family Style" and "Hell's Kitchen," per IMDb.

According to her website, Chung has served as executive chef at China Poblano and opened the restaurants Twenty Eight and Ms Chi Café in California.

After Chung shared her diagnosis, Ms Chi Café said on Instagram that it has made the "difficult decision" to close so that she can focus on her recovery.

In a comment on her original Instagram post, Chung said she was "overwhelmed" by all the support she has received, and Food Network star Aarti Sequeira was among those to send her support.

"This cancer clearly hasn't met Shirley Chung," Sequeira commented on Instagram. "Like, why would you even try? Don't you know what kind of warrior she is?!"