{"id":3165,"date":"2026-07-20T22:27:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T22:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drsoniafawad.com\/?p=3165"},"modified":"2026-07-20T22:27:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T22:27:53","slug":"jeana-keough-of-rhoc-diagnosed-with-tongue-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drsoniafawad.com\/?p=3165","title":{"rendered":"Jeana Keough of RHOC Diagnosed With Tongue Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\tReal Housewives of Orange County<\/a> (RHOC)<\/em> alum Jeana Keough thought she just had a sharp tooth. Instead, the 70-year-old reality star is now fighting oral cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tA few months back, Keough told her daughter, Kara Bosworth, about an uncomfortable spot on her tongue. She figured a rough tooth edge was rubbing against the skin and even went to the dentist a few times to get the tooth filed down. However, when Bosworth asked how long the sore had been bothering her, they realized it\u2019d been lingering for nearly a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\tBosworth shared the heartbreaking news on a GoFundMe page<\/a> launched to help support her mother\u2019s care. \u201cA biopsy confirmed our worst fear: squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue,\u201d Bosworth wrote.<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, oral cancer most commonly affects people age 60 and older. Tongue cancer typically originates in squamous cells: the thin, flat cells on the surface of the mouth. Early signs can look like ordinary, harmless mouth ulcers or patches that won\u2019t go away, but if left untreated, the cancer can spread through the mouth and throat to the lymph nodes and other areas of the head and neck \u2014 which is exactly what happened to Keough.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhat we thought would be a one-time surgery became a full cancer battle,<\/a>\u201d Bosworth shared on the GoFundMe page. \u201cJeana is now in her fifth week of chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. The treatments are relentless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBosworth noted that the severe pain in her mother\u2019s tongue and throat has made swallowing \u201ceven the smallest bites or sips\u201d nearly impossible. \u201cEvery day is a battle just to get enough nutrition and hydration to continue treatment,\u201d she continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe time away from work has also created a financial strain on top of the physical fight. To help ease the burden, several familiar Bravo stars have stepped in to help her out, including her former RHOC <\/em>castmates Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge. Judge\u2019s support surprised many fans given their rocky history<\/a> on the show, which famously included a 2011 fight involving thrown wine and a cease-and-desist letter.<\/p>\n

\n\tReal Housewives of New York (RHONY)<\/em> alum Jill Zarin also donated and rallied fans on social media<\/a>, reminding the community to support an original cast member<\/a> who helped launch the franchise two decades ago. As an OG housewife, Keough anchored the reality hit for its first five seasons from 2006 to 2012 and paved the way for the entire Bravo universe.<\/p>\n

\n\tKeough\u2019s diagnosis is a sobering reminder of how important it is to pay attention to our bodies. Even the mildest, most ordinary symptoms deserve a second look if they don\u2019t go away.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n