Busy Philipps Shares Rare Brain Tumor Diagnosis, Underwent 2 Surgeries
Busy Philipps is detailing a difficult chapter.
The Freaks and Geeks alum shared that she was diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma, a rare brain tumor, earlier this year, going on to detail the two surgeries she underwent to remove the malignant mass.
“I’m grateful that I’m alive,” Philipps told People in an interview published Aug. 26. “I had 40-plus staples in my head immediately. They went into my brain. I had a tumor that was 2.8 centimeters by 1.8 centimeters in my right frontal lobe.”
She was initially scheduled to get a Prenuvo scan, a full-body MRI, in January but had to reschedule to Feb. 12 due to weather. And that new date ultimately fell just one day after her Dawson’s Creek costar James Van Der Beek, who battled colon cancer for four years, died at age 48.
Amid her grief, she considered postponing the appointment once more, crediting her ex Marc Silverstein with encouraging her to follow through.
“My ex-husband Marc, who I’m very close with, called to check in to see how I was doing with James’s passing,” Philipps explained, adding that Silverstein told her, “‘Maybe it’s the best thing you could do for your friend this morning.'”
So, she heeded his advice, and later got the shocking call about her tumor. In fact, Philipps—mom to daughters Birdie, 17, and Cricket, 12, with her ex—detailed the moment she learned of her cancer diagnosis.
“‘This is a real tumor, and it’s inside your brain. Busy, it’s got to come out,'” she recalled her doctor saying on the phone. “I was hyperventilating and trying to breathe.”
Although the procedure in March went well, her dermatologist had concerns about the incision site a month later.
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“She’s like, ‘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?'” Philipps said. “I did. They immediately were like, ‘That doesn’t look good.'”
The 47-year-old underwent another surgery to check for any infections, which she said took a significant toll on her mental health.
“I had two different forms of staph infection in my head and a third bacterial infection and had to be on IV antibiotics overnight,” she revealed. “I was on oral antibiotics, super high-dose oral antibiotics, for 29 days and had another 40 staples in my head.”
“The second surgery really threw me, and then the antibiotics for 29 days really floored me because I was so ready to just be better and work out and not have any restrictions,” she reflected. “I just felt like I was back to square one, and I was really, really upset.”
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Despite the difficult recovery, she’s grateful for the second chance. She praised her longtime BFF Michelle Williams for a much-needed conversation about her cancer.
“She said, ‘Busy, you have been saying for the past two years [that your] brain feels broken,'” Philipps recalled. “She was right. I’ve been saying this for the last few years. I wasn’t consciously aware that anything was really wrong, but there was something that was misfiring. I could not get a handle on it.”
As for how she feels post-surgery? She added, “My brain does not feel broken anymore.”
As Philipps focuses on her next chapter, keep reading for more celebs who’ve detailed their own cancer battles.
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Colin Egglesfield
The All My Children alum announced in January 2025 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his third cancer diagnosis throughout his life.
Despite the devastating news, he announced (for the third time) in February 2025 he was cancer-free following successful surgery and treatments.
“Remember, you’re not defined by any of your challenges,” he wrote in his February 2025 Instagram update. “You’re grander than it all. I’m not my fear, my anxiousness or my scars but I embrace it all because the only way to transform it is to own it.”
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Gerry Turner
The former Golden Bachelor star shared in Dec. 2024 that he had been diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a bone cancer.
“Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it,” Gerry noted to People at the time. “So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn’t want to admit to it.”
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Ariana Madix
“I had to have a lil bit o’cancer removed from my body and lymph nodes biopsied,” the Vanderpump Rules star revealed to fans at the close of 2018. “(In the clear now!)”
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Christina Applegate
The Up All Night star was declared “100-percent clear” of breast cancer after treatment and a double mastectomy.
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Jim Beaver
The actor, known for roles in The Boys and Supernatural, shared on Feb. 3, 2023, that he had battled prostate cancer for years and was cancer free.
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Marcia Cross
The Desperate Housewives star revealed to fans in September 2018 that she survived anal cancer. “After posting a picture of myself here and uttering the words #cancer and #hairloss, I feel liberated, deliriously free and completely me,” she shared on Instagram.
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Dustin Hoffman
The two-time Oscar winner underwent successful treatment for cancer, and his rep confirmed to E! News that doctors deemed Hoffman “surgically cured.”
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Hugh Jackman
The X-Men star was treated for his third basal cell carcinoma back in 2014, and after his third treatment, Jackman’s rep told E! News that he’s “all good” now.
In April 2023, Hugh had two biopsies for additional basal cell carcinoma. At the time, he told fans, “If I can just take this opportunity to remind you summer is coming for those of us in the northern hemisphere, please wear sunscreen.”
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Camille Grammer
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star celebrated one year of being cancer-free in January. The mother of two was diagnosed with endometrial cancer back in 2013 and underwent a radical hysterectomy.
Then in 2017, Camille had surgery to remove Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
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Gordon Ramsay
Alongside a pair of photos that show a line of stitches running from the bottom of his ear to his jaw, which he later covered with a bandage, the British celebrity chef shared that he underwent a procedure to treat skin cancer.
“Grateful and so appreciative for the incredible team at The Skin Associates and their fast reactive work on removing this Basal Cell Carcinoma,” Gordon wrote on Instagram August 2025. “Please don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend.”
“I promise you it’s not a face lift,” he added. “I’d need a refund…”
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Cobie Smulders
The Avengers: Age of Ultron actress battled ovarian cancer at the age of 25 and overcome odds when she welcomed two children with husband Taran Killam.
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Dr. Drew Pinsky
TV host reveals he underwent surgery for prostate cancer in July 2013 and has since been given a clean bill of health.
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Brooke Burke
The Dancing with the Stars cohost underwent successful surgery for thyroid cancer. The mother of four tweeted, “Thx for all the twitter love. I’m [home] recovering & resting.”
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Angie Everhart
“MY DR CALLED ME ON A SAT. MORNING TO TELL ME I AM CANCER FREE!!!!! #wootothemotherf–kinhoo,” the actress tweeted after receiving the good news.
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Michael C. Hall
The Dexter star used a hiatus from his hit series to slay Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
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Michelle Monaghan
The Australian actress revealed in October 2011 that she had a cancerous mole removed from her calf after her hubby encouraged her to get the suspicious-looking mark checked out.
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Ewan McGregor
The Scot is trainspotting just fine these days after having a cancerous mole removed from beneath his right eye.
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Sheryl Crow
The singer beat breast cancer in 2004 with a “minimally invasive” lumpectomy and radiation therapy.
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Michael Douglas
The Oscar winner declared in early 2011 that his tumor was gone and he had throat cancer “beat.”
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Edie Falco
The Emmy winner whacked breast cancer in 2004.
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Anderson Cooper
Surely the CNN veteran wears his SPF when he’s braving the elements now after having a cancerous growth removed from under his left eye in 2008.
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Kylie Minogue
The Australian pop star underwent successful surgery for breast cancer in 2005.
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Barry Watson
The 7th Heaven star was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease when he was only 28. He’s 50 now and looking good!
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Maura Tierney
The ER fave had to abandon her role in Parenthood to fight breast cancer in 2009—but her treatment was a success and she was back on the red carpet in no time.
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Sharon Osbourne
The America’s Got Talent judge was diagnosed with colon cancer while shooting The Osbournes in 2002 and used the opportunity to stress the importance of regular screenings while attacking the #@%! with chemotherapy. She was declared cancer-free the following year.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival
Robert De Niro
The Oscar winner took prostate cancer down, down to Chinatown, in 2003, and has been in about 400 movies since then.
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Robin Roberts
The Good Morning America cohost proudly flaunted her smooth scalp while undergoing chemotherapy to treat breast cancer in 2007.
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Lance Armstrong
The champion cyclist battled back from stage-four testicular cancer before winning seven straight Tour de France titles.
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Melissa Etheridge
The Grammy and Oscar winner became an inspiring activist after a lumpectomy and chemotherapy cleared her of breast cancer in 2005.
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Julia Sweeney
The former Saturday Night Live standout mined her breast cancer battle for comedic material that turned into God Said Ha!, her successful one-woman show that eventually went to Broadway.
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