RHOC Alum Jeana Keough’s Brave Battle with Tongue Cancer: A Story of Strength, Setbacks, and Speaking Up

Important Callout: This article discusses a serious medical condition and intense treatments. If you or a loved one are experiencing similar symptoms, please see a doctor right away. Early detection saves lives.

Who Is Jeana Keough?

Jeana Keough is a familiar face to fans of The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC). She was part of the original cast when the show started in 2006. Today, at 70 years old, she works as a real estate agent in Southern California. She’s also a mom to three grown kids: Shane (39), Kara (37), and Colton.

But right now, Jeana isn’t selling houses or filming TV. She’s fighting the hardest battle of her life: tongue cancer.

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

How It Started: A "Small" Sore

Sometime last year, Jeana noticed a sore on her tongue. It hurt, so she went to her trusted dentist—someone she’d seen for years.

What the dentist said:

"Your tooth is digging into your tongue. That’s what’s causing the sore."

What the dentist did:
Filed the tooth down. Not once. Multiple times. Over several visits. The dentist stuck to this theory, never mentioning a specialist or a biopsy.

The Turning Point: A Daughter’s Intuition

Fast forward to February. Jeana visited her daughter Kara and son Shane in Florida. She casually mentioned she didn’t want spicy food because it hurt her tongue.

Kara’s reaction was immediate and fierce:

"Mom, that tooth has been there your whole life. Why would it suddenly start causing problems now?"

Kara made Jeana promise to get a biopsy the moment she got home.

The Moment of Truth

Jeana kept her promise. She saw an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor.

The doctor took one look and said: "That’s cancer."

A biopsy confirmed it. Surgery was scheduled immediately.

Important Callout: Jeana’s first ENT visit would have cost nearly $3,000 out of pocket because the office didn’t take her insurance. She almost didn’t go. Financial barriers to healthcare are real—and dangerous.

The Treatment Journey: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Surgeries

Tongue dissection – Removing the cancerous spot on her tongue.
Neck dissection – Removing 30 to 40 lymph nodes because scans showed a tiny "glimmer" near her neck that might be cancer spread.

The Daily Grind (Radiation & Chemo)

For weeks, Jeana’s schedule looked like this:

Radiation: 5 days a week
Chemotherapy: Once a week (wipes her out for days)
Immunotherapy: Added to the mix
Plus: Constant bloodwork and IV hydration

The Brutal Side Effects

Jeana’s words: "Due to the location and spread of the cancer, the effects of the radiation have been the worst part. My whole neck and mouth and head light up in heat, pain and soreness. Talking, swallowing, or breathing through my mouth is incredibly painful."

Can’t swallow without gagging and vomiting.
Vomiting hurts with a raw, inflamed throat.
Hospitalized for malnourishment and dehydration.
Bonus complication: A deep vein thrombosis (DVT)—a dangerous blood clot—delayed her feeding tube surgery.

The Feeding Tube

After the blood clot was treated, surgeons placed a feeding tube directly into her stomach.

Jeana: "I’m now like a newborn baby being fed by my caregivers every three hours. I still have nausea and vomiting from chemo, and that really hurts with the fresh feeding tube incision."

Expected duration: 2 to 6 months.

The Prognosis: Honest and Hopeful

Jeana shared her outlook with raw honesty via email (she can’t speak right now):

"It’s upsetting to know that even after all this treatment, I still only have a 40 to 60 percent cure rate within the next five years. We’re just praying that I’m on the good side of that coin flip."

"I can see the finish line now, but I’m hearing it’s a long climb to recovery."

She has only a few more days of radiation left and just finished her last round of chemo. That is a huge milestone.

The Village: No One Fights Alone

Jeana describes herself as a "hyper-independent woman." This dependence has been one of the hardest parts. But her village showed up in full force.

Family First

Kara & Shane: Flew in from Florida, rearranged lives, daily care.
Colton: Local support.
Kara’s update: She announced the diagnosis publicly, rallying the troops.

The Boyfriend Who Stayed

Jeana met Thomas on a second date when she called him (a doctor) for a medical opinion. He never left.

"Thomas has stuck with me through this cancer journey, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have him come into my life when I needed him most."

Bonus: Thomas’s sister is a dentist. She blasted the original dentist’s "huge mistake" and took charge of Jeana’s proper care.

The RHOC Sisterhood

Former co-stars didn’t just send thoughts and prayers:

Alexis Bellino: Texts Kara daily to coordinate help.
Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, Quinn Fry: Offered hands-on local support.

Community & Strangers

GoFundMe: Thousands donated (Jeana’s commission income took a "devastating" hit).
Friends & roommates: Rearranged schedules so Jeana is never alone.

Jeana: "My friends, my roommates, my boyfriend and his family, and now my kids have all rearranged their lives to accommodate my treatment schedule. No one has left me alone. It blows me away."

The Hard Lesson: Advocate For Yourself

Jeana’s message is loud, clear, and born of painful experience:

"Get a good dentist, and if something doesn’t feel right, demand answers."

Why This Matters (ELI5 Version)

Trust your gut. You know your body best. If a "simple fix" (like filing a tooth) doesn’t work after a few tries, it’s not the fix.
Don’t accept "it’s nothing" without proof. A biopsy is the only way to know for sure.
Bring a buddy. Kara’s question changed everything. Have someone with you at appointments.
Money shouldn’t stop you. Jeana almost skipped the biopsy due to cost. Ask about payment plans, financial aid, or in-network providers before declining care.
Dentists are first responders for oral cancer. They should screen for it at every check-up. If yours doesn’t, find one who does.

Summary: Key Takeaways

Jeana Keough (70), RHOC alum, is battling tongue cancer.
Diagnosis was delayed because her dentist treated a sore as a tooth issue for months, filing the tooth repeatedly instead of ordering a biopsy.
Her daughter Kara’s persistence led to the life-saving diagnosis.
Treatment is aggressive: Two major surgeries, weeks of daily radiation, weekly chemo, immunotherapy.
Side effects are severe: Inability to eat/speak, feeding tube required, hospitalization, blood clot.
Prognosis: 40–60% 5-year cure rate. She is near the end of active treatment.
Support system is massive: Family, new partner, former co-stars, community.
Her urgent plea: Advocate for yourself. Demand answers. Get a dentist who screens for oral cancer.

FAQ: Your Questions Answered

1. What are the early signs of tongue/oral cancer?

A sore that doesn’t heal (2+ weeks), persistent pain, a lump or thickening, white/red patches, difficulty chewing/swallowing/moving the tongue, numbness, voice changes. See a dentist or doctor immediately if you have these.

2. Why didn’t the dentist catch it sooner?

The dentist attributed the sore to a "tooth digging in" (trauma). This is a known pitfall. Trauma can cause sores, but if fixing the trauma doesn’t heal the sore in 2 weeks, it must be biopsied. The dentist failed to refer or biopsy.

3. What is a neck dissection?

Surgery to remove lymph nodes from the neck. Done because cancer often spreads there first. Jeana had 30–40 nodes removed to check for spread and remove any microscopic disease.

4. How does a feeding tube work?

A PEG tube (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) is placed through the abdominal wall directly into the stomach. Liquid nutrition/meds go in. It bypasses the mouth/throat. It’s a lifeline when swallowing is impossible or unsafe.

5. How can I support someone going through this?

Show up. (Meals, rides, childcare, sit with them).
Coordinate. (Use apps like MealTrain, CaringBridge).
Listen. Don’t just say "let me know." Say "I’m dropping dinner Tuesday."
Donate if financial strain exists (GoFundMe, direct help).
Advocate with them at appointments.

Final Thought from Jeana:
"This has been a challenge unlike anything I’ve ever faced."
But she’s not facing it alone. And neither should you.

If something feels wrong in your mouth—don’t wait. Get it checked. Demand the biopsy. Your life may depend on it.

Popular Posts