The “Dawson’s Creek” alum opened up about the rare brain tumor, oligodendroglioma, in a new interview.
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Busy Philipps is revealing she was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor.
She underwent two surgeries this year to remove the growth after doctors discovered it during a full-body MRI, the “Freaks and Geeks” and “Cougar Town” alum revealed in an exclusive Aug. 26 interview with People magazine.
Philipps said doctors discovered a tumor in her brain earlier this year, despite Philipps not experiencing obvious symptoms.
“I’m grateful that I’m alive,” Philipps, 47, told the magazine, describing the ordeal as “the weirdest six months of my life.”
Philipps said the tumor was discovered after she underwent the Prenuvo scan on Feb. 12. The appointment came at an emotional time for Phillips, as her friend and former “Dawson’s Creek” costar James Van Der Beek had died of colon cancer the day before. She had initially been interested in getting the scan after learning about it on social media and went through with the appointment.
Philipps said she considered canceling the scan, but her ex-husband-turned-friend Marc Silverstein encouraged her to keep the appointment, telling her it might be “the best thing you could do for” Van Der Beek.
The scan revealed a lesion on her brain, prompting further testing. After a follow-up MRI was reviewed by a neurologist at NYU Langone, Philipps learned the mass was a tumor that needed to be removed.
Philipps recalled an oncologist delivering the news over the phone, telling her, “This is a real tumor, and it’s inside your brain. And Busy, it’s got to come out.” She said she was “hyperventilating and trying to breathe” as she processed the diagnosis.
Busy Philipps tumor removed in surgery was rare oligodendroglioma
Philipps underwent a roughly five-hour surgery on March 2 to remove the 2.6-centimeter mass from her frontal lobe.
A biopsy identified it as a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare type of brain tumor. Philipps’ neuro-oncologist told People that the tumor is considered malignant and is diagnosed in roughly 1,100 to 1,300 people in the U.S. each year.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, oligodendrogliomas are rare brain tumors that develop from cells that help support and protect neurons, accounting for about 3% to 4% of all brain tumors. Grade 2 oligodendrogliomas, like the one Philipps was diagnosed with, are considered low-grade tumors that tend to grow slowly and typically respond well to treatment.
Doctors said catching the tumor before Philipps developed symptoms, such as seizures, made it easier to fully remove. She was discharged from the hospital two days after surgery and soon began preparing to film her new CBS series, “Cupertino.”
Busy Philipps surgery complications mount
But her recovery took an unexpected turn in April.
While visiting her dermatologist for Botox, Philipps said the doctor noticed that her surgical incision did not look right and urged her to contact her surgeons. “She’s like, ‘That doesn’t look right. I’m not going to touch it. … Can I take a picture of it and will you send it to your surgeons right now?'” Phillips recalled. “And I did and they immediately were like, ‘That doesn’t look good.'”
Philipps was later diagnosed with a staph infection at the incision site.
She returned to the hospital on April 27 for a procedure to clear the infection and remove one of the small titanium tacks that had been placed in her skull during her first surgery.
“The second surgery really threw me,” Philipps told People. “I just felt like I was back to square one, and I was really, really upset.”
Doctors were able to catch the infection before it became deeper, and Philipps again recovered quickly. She does not currently need chemotherapy or radiation but will undergo regular scans to watch for a possible recurrence.
‘Dawson’s Creek’ star Busy Philipps reflects on signs, symptoms of brain tumor
Philipps also reflected on whether “extreme emotional reactions” she experienced in recent years could have been connected to the tumor pressing on her frontal lobe, though her doctor told her there is no way to know for certain.
“I wasn’t consciously aware that anything was really wrong, but there was something that was misfiring. Like, I could not get a handle on it,” Phillips said. “My brain does not feel broken anymore,” Phillips added while reflecting on the experience post-surgery.
She hopes her experience can be a lesson to other people, especially women, to listen to their instincts.
“We are frequently told by doctors that there is nothing to worry about [when] you kind of know that there’s something to worry about,” she said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of in having information. It’s only empowering.”