Busy Philipps Undergoes 2 Surgeries After 2.6-Cm Brain Tumor Discovery

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 · Hollywood Reporter · Aug 26

Busy Philipps said a staph infection at her surgical incision forced a second operation in April, weeks after doctors removed a rare brain tumor.
A Prenuvo full-body MRI in February found a grade 2 oligodendroglioma even though Philipps said she had none of the usual symptoms and nearly skipped the scan.
On March 2, surgeons spent five hours removing the 2.6-centimeter mass; her doctor said the tumor is malignant but carries the best prognosis among malignant gliomas.
Philipps said the second surgery was more emotionally destabilizing than the first, though her doctor said she recovered quickly again.
The actress said the ordeal reinforced the value of trusting her instincts and seeking scans or follow-up care even without obvious warning signs.