Updated

Updated · Deadline · Aug 26

Busy Philipps Reveals 2.6-Centimeter Brain Tumor Removal After 6-Month Health Ordeal

Updated

Updated · Deadline · Aug 26

Busy Philipps Reveals 2.6-Centimeter Brain Tumor Removal After 6-Month Health Ordeal

Q: What were the subtle brain symptoms Busy Philipps felt that led her to uncover a silent, malignant tumor?

Busy Philipps said she had no obvious neurological symptoms, but she did feel subtle changes that, in hindsight, seemed meaningful: she felt as if her brain was “broken,” that something was “misfiring,” and that she “could not get a handle on it.” She also wondered whether unusually intense emotional reactions in recent years might have been related to the tumor pressing on her frontal lobe, though her doctors told her there is no way to know that for certain. Reporting tied to her interview also noted that frontal-lobe tumors can sometimes cause changes in behavior, personality or emotional regulation, while temporal-lobe tumors may remain quiet for years. In other words, the warning signs were not classic brain-tumor symptoms such as seizures, headaches or vision loss. They were more vague and internal: a lingering sense that her thinking and emotional control were off, even though she was not consciously aware that anything was seriously wrong. That instinct led her to pursue the full-body MRI that found the 2.6-centimeter grade 2 oligodendroglioma before it caused more obvious symptoms. After surgery, she said, “My brain does not feel broken anymore,” reinforcing her view that paying attention to those subtle changes mattered.

3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Aug 26

Busy Philipps said a full-body MRI in February found a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare slow-growing brain tumor, which doctors later removed in March.
The 2.6-centimeter tumor was discovered weeks before she began filming CBS drama "Cupertino," and Philipps said the early diagnosis left her grateful to be alive.
A second setback followed when Philipps noticed her surgical incision looked wrong during a dermatologist visit; doctors found a staph infection and performed debridement surgery.
Philipps said that second operation felt like going "back to square one," but she now views the past six months as proof that catching both problems early was critical.
Her broader takeaway was to seek information and trust health concerns early, saying patients are sometimes reassured even when they sense something is wrong.