Understanding Tongue Cancer
- Celebrity chef Shirley Chung, 49, is celebrating her return to New York’s James Beard Foundation for a special dinner, less than two years after being diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer.
- Tongue cancer doesn’t always show signs, but symptoms can include: a lump on the side of the tongue that touches the teeth, pain, a sense of fullness in the throat, difficulty swallowing, the feeling of a lump in the neck or throat, voice changes and ear pain.
- This disease is more commonly found in people older than 40. In addition, tongue cancer is twice as common in men, and smokers are five times more likely to develop tongue cancer than nonsmokers.
- It’s much more common to know someone who has a head or neck cancer, like tongue cancer, nowadays than it was several decades ago. And that’s because of its strong connection to HPV, which is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.
- The HPV vaccine is proving to be a powerful cancer‑prevention tool, protecting against the high‑risk virus strains responsible for multiple cancers — including cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile, and certain head and neck cancers — and offering broad protection when given before sexual activity begins
- To further help you on your cancer journey, explore SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool, “My Health Questions.” This powerful resource, embedded across the SurvivorNet website, was built to bridge that gap by offering on-demand explanations of treatment options, clinical trials, side effects, insurance concerns, and more.
- Survivorship isn’t simply a final destination— it’s an ongoing process, as seen in Chung’s case. It starts the day someone is diagnosed with a serious health condition and continues for the rest of their life. Many people describe it by saying, “you become a survivor the moment you’re diagnosed.”
Chung is hosting a one-night dinner at the James Beard House in NYC — cocktail hour, passed apps, a paired multi-course meal, and a chef Q&A — showcasing dishes from her Dallas restaurant Night Rooster, less than two years after her tongue cancer diagnosis.
Read MoreView this post on Instagram
One fan commented, “You look extremely healthy Chef Shirley!!!!”
While other fans wrote, “Continued good health! You look amazing!” and “You look beautiful Shirley.”
The event will take place at Pier 57 in New York City on Sept 9, 2026, at 6:30 PM, with tickets ranging from $185 to $250, however it’s currently waitlist only.
On the foundation’s website, Chung, dubbed a “fan favorite chef,” is described as bringing her “new dining concept, Night Rooster, to New York for one night only.”
“Known as Los Angeles’ ‘Dumpling Queen,’ the Beijing-born chef trained in classic French and Italian kitchens under esteemed chefs Thomas Keller, Guy Savoy, and José Andrés before establishing her own distinct point of view in modern Chinese cooking,” the website explains.
“For this menu, chef Chung highlights her latest work at Night Rooster in Dallas, pairing her deep heritage with regional Texas ingredients. Guests will enjoy her signature and inventive handmade dumplings, like jumbo Wagyu cheeseburger potstickers, alongside dishes that marry northern Chinese culinary traditions with Lone Star State flair. ”
View this post on Instagram
Chung’s menu will opens with hibiscus cherry tomatoes and lobster egg rolls, paired with sparkling rosé, then moves into a multi-course dinner of tuna crudo, spicy duck fat wontons, and tea-smoked duck breast, each matched with a wine or sake.
It will close with a sesame-sugar mochi doughnut and mocha tofu mousse for dessert.
Navigating Life After Cancer
Shirley Chung’s Tongue Cancer Diagnosis
Chung, who made the difficult decision to close her L.A. restaurant called Ms. Chi Cafe while she focused on her recovery, initially revealed her diagnosis in July 2024.
“I have some personal news to share with you. Since last year December, I had a series of dental issues, 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 explained on Instagram.
“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.”
View this post on Instagram
Following the news of her diagnosis, all Chung recounting hearing was “option 1, surgery, 100% removal of your tongue.”
Thankfully, Chung’s determination to find another treatment option led her doctor to tell her and her husband about a special case that took place at the University of Chicago. It was there they were told about how another person battling tongue cancer was cured through chemotherapy and radiation, something she described as a “unicorn case.”
“Higher survival rate, or keep my tongue? I chose to keep my tongue, I am a fighter, I am a chef, I can be that unicorn too,” Chung said at the time.
By December 2024, Chung shared a celebratory Instagram post, revealing that she hit a milestone in her cancer treatment: 10 weeks of radiation and chemo treatments.
She went through some challenging side effects, that made it difficult to sleep, eat, and even drink water.
Chung later revealed she has since been able to drink smoothies again, as well as eat soups, ice cream and egg custard.
After noting her taste buds are slowing returning to normal, she added, “I can taste 50% of sweet and savory and all the warm spices.”
She also recounted having an emergency surgery to replace her “G tube,” otherwise known as a gastrostomy tube, which is surgically placed in one’s body through the abdomen to the stomach to bring in nutrition, fluids, and medicine.
The latest procedure. she underwent was to have her “G-tube” removed, which she has celebrated as just another step in her healing process.
A G-tube is a “gastrostomy feeding tube insertion” which is put in place through something called an endoscopy, MedlinePlus reports.
The procedure is performed for a variety of reasons and some people only have the G-tube in for a short period of time, though they can also be left in permanently.
According to research published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery, within the last 25 years, head and neck cancer cases have been declining except for “oropharyngeal cancer squamous cell carcinoma [OPSCC] (a common type of throat cancer) and oral tongue cancer.” The researchers added that the reason tongue cancer and throat cancer cases have risen stems from the human papillomavirus (HPV). (It’s unclear what led to Chung’s diagnosis.)
Chung ultimately emerged on the other side of treatment where she was able to proudly ring the cancer bell with a smile.
“I completed 20 weeks of chemo, 50 rounds of radiation, and still have my whole tongue,” she shared in another social media post.
View this post on Instagram
Tongue Cancer: A Type of Head & Neck Cancer
According to Cedars-Sinai, several types of cancer develop in the tongue, with the most common being squamous cell carcinoma.
The two types of tongue cancer are:
- Cancer of the oral tongue, which consists of the front two-thirds of the tongue that you can stick out
- Cancer of the base of the tongue, the area which is the back one-third of the tongue that extends down the throat
Although some people may be diagnosed with tongue cancer and have no risk factors, Cedars-Sinai says this type of cancer is most commonly found in adults 40 years old and up. Men are also twice as likely to be diagnosed with tongue cancer.
Other risk factors include:
- Smoking [smokers are 5x more likely to develop tongue cancer than nonsmokers]
- Drinking alcohol
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
African-American men also have a greater risk than caucasians.
Tongue cancer may be hard to spot in its early stages, however it’s important to be aware of the symptoms, as catching the disease earlier will lead to an easier treatment path.
Symptoms might include:
- An unusual lump on the side of the tongue
- An ulcer-like lump, of a grayish-pink to red color
- A lump that bleeds easily when touched
- Trouble swallowing
- Voice changes
- Pain in the ear
- Pain in the throat
- Feeling of fullness in the throat
HPV and Cancer Risk: The Basics
Throat cancer is usually diagnosed through X-rays, CT scans, and PET scans. A diagnosis also often requires a biopsy.
For tongue cancer treatment, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are usually done.
It’s much more common to know someone who has a head or neck cancer, like tongue cancer, now-a-days than it was several decades ago. And that’s because of its strong connection to the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV, which is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.
“From the 1980s to the 2010s, the rate of HPV-related head and neck cancers has gone up by 300 percent,” Dr. Ted Teknos, a head and neck cancer specialist at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio, told SurvivorNet during a previous interview.
The vast majority of people in the United States — both men and women — will eventually get infected with HPV, according to Dr. Allen Ho, a head and neck surgeon at Cedars-Sinai.
“The important thing to know about HPV is that there are many different strains, and only a couple of them tend to be more cancer-inducing,” he told SurvivorNet.
“Probably less than 1% of the population who get infected happen to have the cancer-causing virus that somehow their immune system fails to clear, and over 15 to 20 years it develops from a viral infection into a tumor, and a cancer.”
It’s unclear whether HPV alone is enough to trigger the changes in your cells that lead to head and neck cancers, or whether this happens in combination with other risk factors like smoking.
Protecting Against HPV
Nearly 80 million Americans have HPV today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It impacts men and women and won’t cause problems for most people.
However, in a small percentage of cases, it can lead to cancer.
The HPV vaccine is recommended to protect against HPV and, therefore, HPV-related cancers.
Gardasil 9 is an HPV vaccine that offers protection against “nine HPV types: the two low-risk HPV types that cause most genital warts, plus seven high-risk HPV types that cause most HPV-related cancer,” according to the National Cancer Institute.
The vaccine creates an immune response to HPV 16, the primary cause of 92% of head and neck cancers. Once children are vaccinated, they cannot be infected with that strain. For parents, the HPV vaccine enables them to protect their children from developing cancer in the future.
“The key with the vaccine is that you receive it before you have sexual encounters,” Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “So that’s why these vaccines are approved for young children, ages 9, 10, 11 years old, up to age 26.”
The HPV vaccine is recommended for all male and female preteens 11 to 12 years old in two doses given between six and 12 months, according to the CDC. The series of shots can also start as young as 9.
The CDC also notes that teens and young adults through age 26 who didn’t start or finish the HPV vaccine series also need the vaccine.
Additionally, people with weakened immune systems or teens and young adults between 15 and 26 who started the series should get three doses instead of two.
Although adults up to 45 can still receive the vaccine, it’s not recommended for everyone older than 26. Still, a person older than 26 could choose to get vaccinated after talking to their doctor about possible benefits, even despite it being less effective in this age range, as more people have already been exposed to HPV by this point.
WATCH: Should children get the HPV Vaccine?
Vaccine hesitancy can impede people from getting the vaccine. The concern may come from parents who may feel the vaccine paves the way for early sexual activity. For this reason, some health practitioners are educating the public about the vaccine differently.
“I think rebranding the vaccine as a cancer vaccine, rather than an STD vaccine, is critically important,” says Dr. Teknos, who believes concerted efforts to “change the mindset around the vaccine” can make a difference.
What You Need to Know About Survivorship
Whether you’re just starting out on your path as a survivor or have been living in survivorship for some time, you’ll find that the term carries multiple meanings. At its core, survivorship refers to life after facing a significant challenge, like a cancer diagnosis. More precisely, it represents the stage following treatment—a time when individuals transition from simply enduring their experience to embracing life with renewed purpose and strength.
It’s essential to understand that survivorship isn’t a final destination—it’s an ongoing process, much like in Shirley Chung’s experience. It starts the moment someone is diagnosed with a major health condition and extends throughout their lifetime. You’ll often hear phrases like, “you become a survivor the day you’re diagnosed,” which highlight this perspective.
This idea speaks to the strength and determination required to face a serious illness, honoring the resilience it takes to move forward each day.
Being a survivor involves reshaping your life while managing the lasting effects of illness and its treatment. This stage often comes with physical and emotional challenges—ongoing medical appointments, fear of the illness returning, side effects from medication, and shifts in how you see yourself. Yet, it’s also a time when many discover newfound strength, personal growth, and transformation.
Survivorship isn’t simply about being disease-free—it marks a new chapter, a significant milestone. While this path may not be one you expected or wanted, it can lead to deeper self-awareness and a clearer sense of your inner resilience. No two survivorship journeys are the same, and how you move forward is entirely personal.
As you navigate this unfamiliar phase called “survivorship,” know that it’s okay to face uncertainty—and you don’t have to face it alone. There are many resources, communities, and support networks available to walk alongside you every step of the way.
Continued Medical Care
Staying committed to ongoing medical care is essential—be sure to attend all follow-up appointments and follow your provider’s guidance closely.
Adopting healthy coping strategies can make the transition into survivorship smoother and more manageable. Remember, take your time. There’s no need to rush. You’ve already conquered significant challenges, so allow yourself the space to move forward at a pace that feels right for you. Slow and steady truly does win the race.
Resilient learning to overcome any obstacle
Regular health checkups play a crucial role in supporting overall well-being and catching potential problems early. This is important for everyone, but it becomes especially vital for those navigating life after serious illness.
For individuals in survivorship, one key reason to keep up with routine medical visits is to watch for any signs of recurrence. While the goal is always full recovery, there remains a chance that the illness could return, even after effective treatment. Consistent checkups help ensure that any changes are identified promptly, allowing for early intervention if necessary.
Managing Other Health Conditions & Healthy Lifestyle Changes, Matters Too!
A survivorship journey may sometimes result in the development of new health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis. Ongoing screenings and consistent monitoring play a key role in managing these conditions and preventing them from becoming more serious.
In addition, regular medical visits offer a chance for your healthcare provider to recommend positive lifestyle adjustments. These might include staying physically active, eating a nutritious diet, managing stress, and avoiding harmful habits like smoking or heavy drinking—all of which can greatly reduce the likelihood of cancer returning or other health complications arising.
Remember To Ask Questions
When faced with a cancer diagnosis, it’s crucial to ask your doctor informed questions to understand your condition, treatment options, and coping strategies. These questions can serve as a starting point for your discussion with your doctor so you can feel empowered and informed as you navigate your cancer journey.
SurvivorNet’s “My Health Questions” AI tool helps patients and caregivers better understand cancer screenings and treatment options by providing clinically grounded answers and personalized questions for upcoming doctor visits.
WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
