Jeana Keough is opening up about her tongue cancer diagnosis and the “painful” first symptom.
The 70-year-old former Real Housewives of Orange County star chatted with Page Six for an interview published on Friday (July 31) and revealed more insight about her cancer treatment and the initial diagnosis
According to Jeana, she noticed a sore on her tongue last year and her “trusted dentist” told her that it was being caused by one of her teeth “digging” into that spot
Jeana Keough says her dentist missed the first serious sign of her tongue cancer
What she thought was a small issue turned into something much more significant.
“There was no mention of a specialist, no suggestion for a biopsy and [the dentist] proceeded to file the tooth down on multiple visits, sticking with the theory that it was my tooth causing the painful sore,” she shared.
After visiting the dentist three times, she finally received a referral to an ENT doctor. She intended to research an in-network doctor after returning from a trip to Florida to visit her son Shane Keough and her daughter Kara Bosworth.
Jeana made a comment about not wanting to eat spicy food because it hurt her tongue and her daughter Kara immediately asked about the spot and how long it had been causing pain, pointing out her mom had that tooth for her entire life. She urged her mother to get a biopsy after returning home.
“That doctor took one look in my mouth and said, ‘That’s cancer.’ A biopsy was done, and when I got the results back, it was confirmed,” Jeana said, adding that she then “called every doctor [she] knew to get their opinion.”
One of the doctors she spoke with wound up becoming her boyfriend, Thomas, who she praises as sticking by her throughout her journey. Jeana also shared that his sister, who is also a dentist, has really helped ensure she’s getting “the right and proper care.”
Jeana had to undergo a tongue dissection followed by a second surgery
Jeana later underwent a tongue dissection.
“We were all hopeful that the cancer was contained to the spot and just planned the oral surgery to remove the spot, leaving my lymph nodes alone,” she said.”
“But after consulting with my [oncologist] and his team, it was decided that I would have a second surgery to remove about 30 to 40 nodes in a neck dissection because there was a small ‘glimmer’ on my scans near my neck — a glimmer that could have been attributed to inflammation but could also indicate a spread of the cancer.”
Details about her treatment process
Her current treatment includes radiation five days a week, some immunotherapy, and chemotherapy once a week. She told Page Six she only has a few more days of radiation remaining and finished her final round of chemo.
“My whole neck and mouth and head light up in heat, pain and soreness, and the resulting inflammation of my throat and tongue makes talking, swallowing or breathing through my mouth incredibly painful,” she said. “I can no longer swallow without gagging and then vomiting, which hurts like hell with a raw and inflamed throat and tongue.”
Because of the treatment and cancer symptoms, Jeana was admitted to the hospital recently for malnourishment and dehydration where she had a feeding tube placed that will likely be there for “two to six months.”
“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,” she explained. “We’re just praying that I’m on the good side of that coin flip.”
She also encouraged people to be vigilant about listening to their bodies and if “something doesn’t feel right, demand answers.”
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Posted To:health Jeana Keough Real Housewives Real Housewives of Orange County
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