Busy Philipps Reveals Brain Tumor Diagnosis and Surgeries

Busy Philipps, known for her role in “Dawson’s Creek,” recently shared that she underwent two surgeries after being diagnosed with a rare malignant brain tumor.

In an interview that aired on August 26, she revealed to People that she accidentally discovered her health issue. This came about after learning about Prenuvo scans on social media. Interestingly, Philipps mentioned she was asymptomatic but felt a strong inclination to pursue a preventive scan.

“I didn’t really understand why I felt the urge to have this scan, but I just knew I needed to,” she recalled.

In February, the scan results indicated the presence of a tumor that required surgery.

Philipps expressed gratitude for being alive, describing the experience as “the weirdest six months of my life.”

She initially faced skepticism when she mentioned testing to her primary care doctor, who told her there was “no need” based on her recent blood work. However, after discussing her concerns with her cousin’s husband, Dr. Justin Donlan, she decided to go through with it.

The Prenuvo scan ultimately detected a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare slow-growing tumor.

Philipps recalled a moment when Dr. Donlan informed her, “This is a real tumor, and it’s inside your brain. And Busy, it’s got to come out.”

At the time of her diagnosis, she was preparing to film “Cupertino,” which was set to begin in just six weeks. A decision was quickly made to operate the following week, allowing her to proceed with filming as planned.

The surgery took place on March 2 and lasted about five hours, during which a 2.6-centimeter mass was removed. Despite having over 40 staples in her head, she noted, “I wasn’t in pain at all.”

However, after the initial surgery, Philipps faced a setback. Her Botox dermatologist noticed an issue with the incision site and expressed concern.

“She said, ‘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?’ … I did, and they immediately responded, ‘That doesn’t look good,’” Philipps said.

It turned out she had contracted a staphylococcus infection at the incision site, leading her to undergo debridement surgery to address the infection and remove one of the small titanium tacks that had been placed in her skull during the initial surgery.

“The second surgery really threw me. I just felt like I was back to square one, and I was really, really upset,” Philipps admitted.

Despite these challenges, Philipps continued her career in television, starring in “Cupertino” after receiving the necessary medical care.