Dawson’s Creek Star Busy Philipps Diagnosed With Rare Brain Tumour at 47
Actress Busy Philipps has opened up about her recent health battle, revealing she was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor earlier this year. Following a routine full-body MRI in February, the 47-year-old underwent surgery in early March, just before production began on her new television series, Cupertino.
Reflecting on the life-altering diagnosis, the star expressed immense gratitude. “I’m grateful that I’m alive,” she told PEOPLE. “I didn’t know why I wanted to get this scan except for the fact that I just did.”
An Intuitive Choice and a Crucial Push
The decision to schedule the scan came during an incredibly emotional time. When Busy lost her friend and Dawson’s Creek co-star, James Van Der Beek, to colon cancer in February, a severe blizzard in New York City initially forced her to postpone the appointment for several weeks.
However, her ex-husband and close friend, Marc Silverstein, strongly encouraged her not to delay the procedure any longer. “He’s like, ‘Maybe it’s the best thing you could do for your friend this morning. Go get that scan,’” the White Chicks actress recalled. Shortly after, Beverly Hills internist Dr. Justin Donlan informed her that he had identified a lesion on her brain that required further medical evaluation.
The Shock of the Diagnosis
The initial moments of processing the diagnosis were a whirlwind of emotion. Philipps described how she communicated the news to Silverstein. “The texts to my ex-husband are comical. While I was on the phone with Dr. Donlan, I texted Marc, ‘OMG I have a brain tumor.’ And he wrote back, ‘Busy, what? What are you saying? What are you talking about?’ I was like, ‘It looks fine. It’s probably benign. I don’t know.’”
However, the gravity of the situation quickly became clear after her MRI results were fully analyzed. Doctors delivered a sobering message: “‘This is a real tumor, and it’s inside your brain. And Busy, it’s got to come out.’“
The revelation took an immediate physical and emotional toll. “I was hyperventilating and trying to breathe.” Philipps also shared that her 18-year-old daughter, Birdie, ‘was kind of beside herself and really, really scared and overwhelmed with emotion’.
Despite her own fear, the actress focused on comforting her daughter. “I just kept saying to her, ‘Birdie, you’re just not in the movie where your mom dies your senior year of high school. That’s just not the movie that you’re in. I promise you,’” she added.
Surgery and Pathology Results
On March 2, Philipps underwent a complex five-hour operation during which neurosurgeons successfully removed a 2.6cm mass from her brain. A subsequent biopsy identified the growth as a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, which is a rare type of brain tumor defined by specific genetic alterations.
Her neuro-oncologist, Dr. Alexandra Miller of NYU Langone, explained to PEOPLE that oligodendrogliomas are quite uncommon, with only about 1,100 to 1,300 cases diagnosed annually in the United States.
Addressing the prognosis, Dr. Miller clarified the nature of the condition: “It is considered malignant, but it has the best prognosis of all of the malignant gliomas.“ She added, “It’s sort of defined as a cancerous tumor based on the ability of the tumor to regrow over time, rather than it looking very malignant under the microscope.”
A Complicated Recovery and Looking Ahead
Though the tumor was successfully removed, Philipps faced a challenging recovery period. She developed a staph infection in her surgical incision, requiring a secondary operation on April 27 to clean the wound and remove a titanium tack from her skull. Fortunately, medical professionals caught the infection early before it could progress deeper.
Today, Philipps does not require chemotherapy or radiotherapy, though she will continue to undergo regular monitoring scans to ensure the tumor does not return. Her surgeon has expressed high confidence, noting there is a great chance the tumor may never come back.
Ultimately, Philipps hopes her story encourages others to trust their instincts when it comes to their health. “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 emphasized. “There’s nothing to be afraid of in having information. It’s only empowering.”
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