RHOC
Brooks Ayers' (not pictured) cancer diagnosis takes center stage in yet another episode of "The Real Housewives of Orange County." He and then-girlfriend Vicki Gunvalson sit down with Tamra Judge in Season 10, episode 17 to share the results of what he claims was a recent PET/CT scan. Unfortunately the ladies still have their doubts. (From left: Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, Meghan King Edmonds) Bravo

After a season full of speculation Brooks Ayers makes the difficult decision to share his medical records with Tamra Judge, his then-girlfriend Vicki Gunvalson's best friend. Tamra, 48, and the rest of the cast of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" have spent a majority of Season 10 questioning Brooks' Stage 3 cancer diagnosis, which has created some serious tension among the cast. During Season 10, episode 17, he and Vicki, 53, finally cave and show Tamra the results of what he claims was a recent PET scan.

The episode kicks off with a visit to Brooks' doctor, who is shown going over the results of a PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computerized tomography) scan. The doctor reveals to Brooks, who is sitting in the office with Vicki by his side, that he has a large mass in his abdomen. The doctor then conducts a brief examination in which he checks the size of the mass and questions whether Brooks is experiencing any discomfort as a result. While he and the doctor are shown discussing the PET and CT scans, Bravo TVs cameras were not present when the scans took place nor did the doctor or Brooks reveal the date they occurred. Later in the episode Brooks and Vicki invite Tamra over to the home they share to discuss the results of the scan. After sitting her down and showing her the documents, full of medical jargon, Brooks breaks down what she's reading. He shares with her that he has a large mass on his pancreas, which has not previously been discussed on "RHOC." Vicki then launches into a speech begging Tamra, her on-again, off-again best friend, to "be my warrior." She agrees, but it is clear she is uncomfortable being asked to confidently share with the other women what she's read, as she was unclear about many of the terms printed in the document.

The ladies later gather for a viewing party of Heather and Terry Dubrow's Home Shopping Network special hosted by Meghan King Edmonds. Given her history with Vicki, Meghan, 30, decides it's for the best not to invite Vicki. The party gets off without a hitch -- the "RHOC" ladies manage to put their differences aside long enough to have a few drinks and even place a prank phone call to Heather, 46, and Terry, 57, during the live broadcast. After the special wraps the conversation shifts, once again, to Brooks' cancer. Each of the ladies reveals that they received a text from Vicki in which she discussed the results of his scans, revealed where he had them done, and asked that they stop the chatter.

It is at the point that Tamra reveals what she was told. Meghan, who claims to be seeking justice, shares with her co-stars that she decided to do some research on the facility at which Brooks claims to have gotten checked out. She placed a call to the office and was told by a secretary that they don't conduct PET or CT scans. Meghan shares with the "RHOC" cast that she called a second time to ask specifically about non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which Brooks claims to have. She was again told that they don't handle that specific illness. This information causes quite a stir among the ladies who now have more questions for Brooks and Vicki than ever before.

While Brooks' cancer was the main focus of episode 17, several other events occurred during the episode. Here are four notable moments from Monday:

  • Heather and Terry make their Home Shopping Network debut, selling their line of skincare products. According to Heather's confessional interview the couple had been working on the products for several years.
  • Tamra decides it's finally time to get baptized. She meets with her pastor yet again to discuss the set-up for her religious ceremony, which will appear on a later episode of Season 10.
  • Ryan Vieth and his wife Sarah's marital issues are shown for the first time. The couple move into their new house, for which Tamra loaned them $8,000. During the move they fight several times about a lack of photos of Ryan, an ugly couch, and several other things.
  • Meghan reveals that she has given up fighting her stepdaughter over rules and school. She shares with viewers that by loosening the reins she has been able to better connect with the teen and can see clearly where she needs to step up and when it's OK to back down.

"RHOC" airs at 9 p.m. EDT Mondays on Bravo. Check out a preview for the upcoming episode below: