Jeana Keough has been diagnosed with tongue cancer, and what began as concern over a sore on her tongue has turned into an ongoing treatment battle. Her daughter, Kara, said the diagnosis came after a biopsy confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, followed by two surgeries and a shift into chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy.
Kara said the news is driving searches now because her mother is already in her fifth week of treatment. She wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to help cover costs that Keough is exhausted, struggling to stay awake and having trouble swallowing because pain in her tongue and throat is making even small bites and sips difficult.
The sore was not treated as cancer at first. Kara said Keough first mentioned a painful spot while visiting Kara and Shane in Florida a few months ago. Keough thought a tooth was rubbing against it and had gone to the dentist multiple times to have the tooth filed down. When Kara asked how long the sore had been there, Keough paused and realized it had been nearly a year.
That delay matters because the first idea was a one-time fix. Instead, after the biopsy confirmed the cancer, Keough underwent one surgery to remove it and another to remove lymph nodes. Doctors then noticed the cancer had spread, which changed the course of the illness from a procedure to a longer fight that now requires a mix of treatments meant to attack the disease from more than one angle.
The GoFundMe was set up to help with treatment, everyday living costs, nutrition and other support, and it had raised $4,700 toward a $22,000 goal as of publication. Kara said Keough has been unable to work her commission-based job and has lost a massive amount of income, adding another layer of strain to a case that is already affecting basic tasks like eating and staying hydrated.
Keough is known as an original member of RHOC and stayed on the show for five seasons from 2006 to 2010. For now, the clearest next step is continued treatment, but the bigger question remains the same one Kara’s account leaves hanging: how much damage the cancer has already done, and how long Keough will need care before any real recovery can begin.
