In a video shared to Instagram, Philipps pointed out one scene she filmed shortly after that second surgery, telling her fans, “I had been released from the hospital at like noon the day before. I was picked up at like 10 a.m. the next day.”

Philipps further recounted her friend Liv having come over to wash the blood out of her hair before she headed on set. She also noted how she did her own hair for the shoot.

In the caption, she explained that Liv washed her hair in the kitchen sink because she wasn’t allowed to get the incision wet for three days, calling her “a true friend.”

“It’s wild to watch Cupertino knowing where I was in my recovery,” she wrote, revealing that she had 40 staples in her skull during the scene and “basically still had general anesthesia” in her system, yet still remembered her lines.

Keeping her signature sense of humor, Philipps joked in the video that the show’s camera angles weren’t “helping me not want to get a facelift.”

In the caption, she urged fans to tune in, “and not just to try to spot my head staples.”

“The resilience of human bodies is incredible!!” she concluded.

Philipps’ post quickly drew an outpouring of support from friends, castmates and fans alike.

Her “Cupertino” co-star Ella Stiller echoed Philipps’ own words, writing, “THE SHOW MUST GO ON,” while the show’s official Instagram account called her an “Absolute queen.”

Additionally, former “Bachelor in Paradise” star Joe Amabile, who also recently underwent surgery following a brain tumor diagnosis, commented, “So wild,” and actress Michelle Monaghan chimed in with a raised-hands emoji.

RELATED: ‘5 Things I’m Struggling With’: ‘Bachelorette’ Star Joe Amabile’s Honest 4-Week Recovery Update After Brain Tumor Surgery

Kevin Williamson, the creator of “Dawson’s Creek,” also told her, “You are awesome in this show! Great show!!!”

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We can’t help but admire Philipps for sharing her journey so openly, and for showing that a brain tumor diagnosis doesn’t have to stop you from living a full life.

Living with low-grade glioma means something very different today than it did decades ago. Many people are living longer, fuller lives than ever before, particularly those whose tumors have what’s known as an IDH mutation, thanks to new targeted therapies. With better surgery, smarter imaging and targeted drugs like IDH inhibitors, the story of low-grade glioma is increasingly one of long-term disease management.

Even so, any glioma diagnosis is stressful, and patients often worry about treatment, recurrence and more. Dr. Nicolas Gonzalez Castro, a neuro-oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously told SurvivorNet that fear is understandable, but patients should know there is also a lot to be hopeful about.

Conquering Fear And Anxiety: A Message For Glioma Patients

“A brain tumor diagnosis is a life-changing event, and patients are continuously reminded of this, particularly if they have symptoms that are ongoing — ongoing seizures or if they have any symptoms after their initial treatment such as radiation or surgery,” Dr. Gonzalez Castro said.

“It is natural. And the time of the new MRI or the next MRI is always a time of worry and concern.”

If you’re feeling that way, you’re not alone. There’s even a commonly used name for this scan-related anxiety, Dr. Gonzalez Castro pointed out: “scanxiety.” It’s incredibly common among glioma patients and others living with cancer.

“I try to counsel patients and assess their level of anxiety,” he explained. “Anxiety is a medical condition. It’s extremely common … it can be treated and it’s important to discuss treatments, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological.”

Understanding Philipps’ Diagnosis

Philipps exclusively told People in an earlier interview that she learned she had a brain tumor in February after undergoing a whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan through Prenuvo, despite having no symptoms.

She was diagnosed with a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare, slow-growing tumor that develops in oligodendrocytes, the cells in the brain and spinal cord that produce myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers. She underwent surgery to remove the tumor this past spring.

It’s worth noting that while whole-body MRI scans are available to the public through companies like Prenuvo, Ezra, Neko Health and SimonMed, experts caution that they are not part of standard screening guidelines and should not replace recommended medical screenings.

RELATED: What I Learned From My Full-Body MRI Scan by Prenuvo: SurvivorNet Writer Danielle Cinone Shares Her Story—Never Skip Approved Screenings 

Philipps explained that her decision to get scanned wasn’t driven by any particular symptom or concern—it was more of a gut instinct. She’d actually raised the idea with her primary care doctor back in 2025, but was told the scan wasn’t necessary at the time.

However, her mind changed after a conversation with an internist in Beverly Hills, who encouraged her that having more information is always better than less, prompting her to schedule the scan.

After receiving her results, Philipps spoke with a neurologist at NYU Langone who treats her daughter’s epilepsy. Reviewing the MRI, he identified a lesion and, based on its shape, told her that the likelihood of it being a glioblastoma—an aggressive form of brain cancer—was low. Still, he recommended an immediate follow-up MRI to determine exactly what it was.

After the follow-up MRI, Philipps underwent a five-hour surgery in March to remove and biopsy the mass, which measured 2.6 cm.

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, oligodendrogliomas are an uncommon type of brain tumor, representing about 1.3% of brain tumor cases nationally, with an estimated 1,100 new cases diagnosed annually in the U.S. Additionally, adults are the primary population affected, with onset most typical between 20 and 40 years old. Both sexes can develop these tumors, though men are diagnosed somewhat more frequently than women. Diagnosis in children younger than 15 is uncommon.

Philipps’ neuro-oncologist, Dr. Alexandra Miller, Director of the Neuro-Oncology Division at NYU Langone Health, told People, “It is considered malignant, but it has the best prognosis of all of the malignant gliomas.”

Dr. Miller previously told SurvivorNet, “Glioma is a broad term that refers to a whole range of different types of primary brain tumors. So, they’re tumors that originate in the brain and very rarely spread outside the brain to other parts of the body.”

Diagnosing Gliomas — Dr. Miller Talks About Resections & The Grading System

About 7 weeks after the successful surgery, she developed an infection in her surgical incision and needed another operation—this time to treat the infection and remove one of the titanium tacks that had been used to hold her skull bone in place during the first procedure.

Philipps is grateful that surgery successfully removed the cancerous tumor, meaning she does not need chemotherapy or radiation. However, she will require regular scans to monitor for any signs of recurrence.

For patients diagnosed with oligodendrogliomas, surgery is often the first step in treatment.

Treatment may include:

• Surgery: The goal is to remove as much of the tumor as safely as possible without damaging surrounding brain tissues. It’s a specialized procedure performed by expert neurosurgeons.
• Radiation Therapy: This method uses high-energy beams, like X-rays, to kill the tumor cells. It’s often used after surgery, especially if the entire tumor cannot be removed.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the tumorous cells. It might be used after radiation therapy or in combination with it, depending on the specifics of your case.
• Targeted Therapy: This type of treatment focuses on specific abnormalities in cancer cells. For oligodendrogliomas, which carry an IDH mutation, that includes IDH inhibitors. In 2024, the FDA approved vorasidenib (Voranigo), a once-daily pill, for people 12 and older with grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with an IDH1 or IDH2 mutation following surgery. For some patients, it may help delay the need for radiation and chemotherapy. Whether it’s right for a given patient depends on factors like how much of the tumor was removed, and is a decision made with their care team.
• Supportive (Palliative) Care: This isn’t a treatment for the tumor itself, but an essential part of any cancer care. Palliative care focuses on providing relief from symptoms and improving your quality of life, through physical therapies, relaxation techniques, and emotional and psychological support.

Making Sense of a Brain Tumor Diagnosis

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), brain tumors account for 85-90% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. They can either be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign), and depending on where the tumor forms in the brain, doctors determine its type, potential symptoms, and potential treatment.

WATCH: Debunking 5G Claims Causing Brain Cancer

Signs and Symptoms of Brain Tumors

Brain tumors impact a person’s brain function and overall health, depending on their size, type, and location within the brain. Tumors that grow big enough and disrupt normal central nervous system functioning can press on nearby nerves, blood vessels, or other tissues. This disruption can show up in various ways, such as difficulty walking or keeping balance.

However, it’s important to know that brain tumors do not always cause symptoms.

Other signs of brain tumors may include:

• Headaches
• Difficulty speaking or thinking
• Weakness
• Behavioral changes
• Vision changes
• Seizures
• Loss of hearing
• Confusion
• Memory loss

Types of Cancerous and Non-Cancerous Brain Tumors

A brain tumor can affect you differently depending on its location and if it is cancerous. Some brain tumors are non-cancerous (or benign). According to the National Cancer Institute, some examples of these types of brain tumors include:

• Chordomas are primarily benign and slow-growing and are often found near the tailbone or where the spine meets the skull.
• Craniopharyngiomas are rare, slow-growing tumors that don’t spread to other parts of the brain or body. They form near the pituitary gland, near the base of the brain.
• Gangliocytomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system that tend to form on the temporal lobe (the left or right side of the brain).
• Glomus jugulare is a rare and slow-growing tumor.
• Meningiomas are rare brain tumors that usually form on the outer layer of tissue that covers the brain (dura mater).
• Pineocytomas are rare and slow-growing tumors located in the pineal gland near the middle of the brain.
• Pituitary adenomas are slow-growing brain tumors of the anterior pituitary located in the lower part of the brain.
• Schwannomas are rare tumors that grow on the cells that protect nerve cells. They are called Schwann cells.
• Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma) are slow-growing tumors that develop from the nerves that help balance and hearing.

Other brain tumors are malignant or cancerous. These kinds of tumors include:

• Gliomas are the most common form of cancerous and aggressive primary brain tumors.
• Astrocytoma (glioma) forms in astrocytes (star-shaped cells). Depending on how aggressive or fast they grow and impact brain tissue, these tumors are classified into four grades.
• Ependymomas are tumors classified into three grades depending on how aggressive or fast they grow.
• Oligodendrogliomas are classified into grades based on their growth rate. Grade 2 oligodendroglioma tumors are slow-growing and can invade nearby tissue, but they may not present symptoms for many years before detection. Meanwhile, grade 3 oligodendroglioma tumors grow more quickly and are more aggressive.
• Medulloblastoma tumors are classified into four different grades depending on their aggressive nature or how quickly they grow.
• Glioblastoma, which is considered a central nervous system (CNS) tumor, is the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults.

WATCH: Liquid Biopsy: What It Is And Why You Might Need One As a Cancer Patient

Inside Brain Tumor Surgery and Recovery: What Patients Can Expect

Surgery to remove a brain tumor is delicate by nature, and every movement inside the skull must balance precision with safety.

“We take off the bone overlaying the area we need to get to. We open the little envelope around the brain called the dura, and then we move through the brain tissue to get to where the tumor is to try to cut out as much as we can safely—without hurting the patient’s function or other important things like big blood vessels that can cause things like a stroke,” says board-certified neurosurgeon at Emory University School of Medicine Dr. Kimberly Hoang.

Following surgery, patients are closely monitored and often receive radiation to prevent tumor regrowth—particularly in cases where multiple tumors or metastatic disease are involved.

“Because many patients can have more than one brain tumor or metastasis from their cancer, it was not reasonable to think about surgery for them,” Dr. Hoang adds. “They also get radiation for those spots as well, to try to keep those tumors from growing or shrink them down.”

Treatment Advancements & the Challenge of the Blood-Brain Barrier

Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies have long been effective in treating cancer throughout the body. But the brain’s natural defense — the blood-brain barrier — makes these treatments less effective when it comes to brain tumors.

This barrier is “a network of blood vessels and tissue…made up of closely spaced cells and helps keep harmful substances from reaching the brain,” according to the National Cancer Institute.

Still, Dr. Hoang notes that recent advancements in drug design are beginning to improve treatment efficacy in the brain.

Understanding Side Effects of Brain Tumor Treatment

Side effects vary depending on the tumor’s size, location, and number of lesions present.

“Radiation treatment can cause swelling in the tumor as the tumor ‘dies,’ and the surrounding tissue can also become swollen as the treatment takes effect,” Dr. Krishanthan Vigneswaran, a neurosurgeon with UT Health Houston and Memorial Hermann, tells SurvivorNet.

“This swelling can cause symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, and neurological loss of function…Surgical resection can also induce swelling, but this is more transient.”

Tumor location often determines what symptoms emerge:

“If it’s near your movement area, movement on one side of the body can be affected. If it’s near your speech area, your speech and the way you form words and express them can be affected,” Dr. Hoang explains.

She also notes brain surgery tends to be less painful than other types — like spinal or abdominal — due to fewer nerves in the surgical area.

Recovery & Long-Term Monitoring

“Because of this unique quality of metastatic brain disease, an oncology team will have to monitor a patient indefinitely during remission,” Dr. Vigneswaran says.

Many experts recommend joining a support group — especially one with people who’ve undergone similar procedures. Their lived experience can offer comfort and practical advice.

“Support groups can be incredibly helpful to patients and are commonly offered at major cancer centers and hospitals,” says Dr. Jennifer Moliterno, Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center.

Mental health professionals are also often part of the care team, helping patients manage the emotional effects of surgery, treatment, and recovery.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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