All about Busy Philipps rare malignant brain tumor and how she got diagnosed despite no symptoms

Busy Philipps is “grateful to be alive” after a shocking health scare.The 47-year-old actress revealed this week that doctors discovered a rare, slow-growing malignant tumor in her brain earlier this year, despite her having no obvious symptoms.Philipps opened up about the ordeal in a People cover story published Wednesday, saying she underwent two surgeries as a result of her grade 2 oligodendroglioma.The “Dawson’s Creek” alum called the past six months the “weirdest” of her life, dubbing herself “the luckiest girl in the world” after following through with a full-body MRI scan her primary physician had initially talked her out of.She ultimately decided to schedule the scan after speaking with her cousin-in-law, Dr.

Justin Donlan, an internist who told her that “knowledge is power.”Doctors spotted the tumor during a Prenuvo scan on Feb.12, just one day after her former co-star James Van Der Beek died of colorectal cancer at age 48.

The star had actually been considering canceling her appointment when her husband suggested the health check might be “the best thing” she could do for her late friend.So, what exactly is an oligodendroglioma — and what subtle symptoms can signal the disease? Here’s what to know.An oligodendroglioma is a rare type of brain tumor that can also develop in the spinal cord.It starts in oligodendrocytes, cells that help support and protect the nerve cells responsible for sending messages throughout the brain and nervous system, according to the Cleveland Clinic.Philipps was diagnosed with a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, which is considered a “low-grade” tumor by the World Health Organization.

That means it typically grows slowly and is generally easier to treat than more aggressive brain tumors.“It is considered malignant, but it has the best prognosis of all of the malignant gliomas,” Dr.Alexandra Miller, Philipps’ neuro-oncologist at NYU Langone, told People.“It’s sort of defined as a cancerous t...