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Cancerous Sore: Mom's Year-Long Battle for Diagnosis
2 Aug
Summary
- A persistent tongue sore for nearly a year led to a squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis.
- Treatment caused severe pain, making speaking and swallowing difficult for the patient.
- She urges others to seek answers for any lingering, unusual symptoms.
A persistent tongue sore, present since 2025, eventually led Jeana Keough to a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. Initially, her dentist believed a tooth was irritating the area and filed it down over several appointments without recommending a biopsy. After nearly a year, encouragement from her daughter prompted Keough to seek further medical attention.
A specialist immediately suspected cancer upon examination, and a subsequent biopsy confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Keough underwent two surgeries, including a neck dissection that removed 30 to 40 lymph nodes, some of which contained cancer. She also received chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy.
The intensive treatment has caused severe pain, making speaking and swallowing extremely difficult. Keough now relies on a feeding tube for nutrition, a situation expected to continue for two to six months. Doctors provided a five-year cure chance estimated between 40% and 60%.
Keough is urging others not to ignore persistent symptoms and to actively seek answers from medical professionals. The American Cancer Society notes that a non-healing mouth sore, persistent oral pain, or difficulty swallowing can be signs of oral cavity or throat cancer, advising medical evaluation if symptoms last more than a few weeks.
