Abbie Jaye, known professionally as Chef AJ, recently disclosed her diagnosis of stage 3 lung cancer in a candid video on her YouTube channel. Accompanied by her long-time friend and colleague Dr. Matthew Lederman, Jaye shared the heartbreaking news with her followers. “He’s here today more as my friend and to support me into revealing to you all my diagnosis of lung cancer,” Jaye explained at the beginning of the live-streamed video.
The plant-based chef, renowned for her advocacy of unprocessed, whole foods-based diets, revealed that she first became aware of tumors two years ago. However, at that time, they were too small to biopsy or cause concern. “Some tumors were found incidentally, they’re called incidental pulmonary nodules, a little over two years ago. They were extremely small, too small to biopsy or worry about. It didn’t seem to be a story,” she recounted.
Jaye’s diagnosis earlier this month has significantly impacted her emotional well-being. “I’m doing pretty good right now, I’m not crying, I’m getting through this broadcast,” she said, acknowledging the emotional toll the news has taken on her.
Addressing Concerns and Misconceptions Following Chef AJ’s Heartfelt Lung Cancer Announcement
Plant-Based Chef AJ Announces Stage 3 Lung Cancer Diagnosis https://t.co/r5k4QEJFnp
— Lorraine Carroll🐷🐂🐏🐔 (@lorraineandlill) December 4, 2024
Chef AJ’s decision to go public with her diagnosis was fraught with anxiety, primarily due to concerns about potential criticism of her plant-based lifestyle. “I have been for two years being afraid to tell anyone,” she admitted. “How can I be someone promoting health and wellness and diet and then be sick? But you know what? Veganism is 100 percent fatal because being human is 100 percent fatal. We’re all going to die.”
She emphasized that diet, while beneficial, is not a cure-all. “Most diseases, including cancer, are multifactorial,” Jaye explained, noting her strong family history of cancer. She stressed that her plant-based diet has contributed to her overall health, possibly slowing the cancer’s progression. “A lot of doctors believe that it was my healthy lifestyle that has made the cancer grow slowly,” she added.
In her community and on social media, Jaye’s news sparked a discussion about health, diet, and the complexities of cancer. One user on the r/PlantBasedDiet subreddit likened it to crossing the street: “You can cross the street on a green light only all your life and get run over by a car anyway. While someone who always crosses on red and jaywalks, never gets hit.” Another user pointed out the randomness of disease, stating, “The determinants for disease are incredibly complex, and there’s a huge amount of randomness/mathematical chaos involved. That’s something we just have to accept.”
Advances in The Humane Treatment of Cancer: A Review of the Science + Q … https://t.co/2eN9dQ0NsN via @YouTube
— CHEF AJ (@therealchefaj) June 3, 2024
The online conversation also highlighted other potential risk factors for lung cancer, such as air pollution and exposure to cooking fumes. “Air pollution can be as bad as smoking,” one commenter noted, while another mentioned, “A chef is going to have long-term exposure to natural gas stoves. Cooking with gas is a known risk factor for lung cancer.”
Despite the diagnosis, Chef AJ remains a figure of resilience and inspiration. Her transparency and courage in sharing her journey with cancer have reinforced the importance of being an advocate for one’s health and the multifaceted nature of disease. “Other than being scared to death and having terrible anxiety, I have no physical symptoms of cancer,” Jaye concluded, showing her determination to face this challenge head-on.
