Busy Philipps’ Latest Mammogram Caused a Scare After Doctors Found a ‘Weird’ Cyst
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Busy Philipps, 41, opened up about her latest mammogram scare.
Doctors found a cyst that “looked a little weird” and called for a biopsy.
The actress shared how she remained calm during the process.
The American Cancer Society suggests women should have the choice to get a mammogram beginning at age 40, and by 45, they should get them every year. When Busy Philipps turned 40 last year, she had every intention of getting checked as soon as possible. But the pandemic got in the way.
“I turned 40, and I knew that that’s when I needed to get a mammogram. But I was busy and traveling a lot. Then, COVID happened,” she recently told Health. The Girls5eva star finally got around to it, and she’s glad she did.
“After the boob-squish thing, the tech said they wanted to take a few more pictures,” Philipps recalled. “Then the radiologist came in and said they wanted to do an ultrasound. That’s when I thought, ‘Oh no—is this going to be one of those things? I don’t want this to be a thing.’”
Doctors determined the actress had a cyst in her left breast and called for a biopsy because “it looked a little weird.”
It was a nerve-wracking experience, but she was able to stay calm thanks to the tools she’s acquired through a lifetime of therapy. “My feeling is, there’s no reason to get upset until they tell you to because it’s a waste of energy—you can’t change the results,” she said. “When those scary thoughts creep in, I say, ‘I see you, thoughts. I am going to put you away in this little cabinet.’”
Thankfully, the biopsy came up clear and there was no cause for further concern. In her cover shoot for Health, the 41-year-old actress proudly bared the bruise the procedure left behind. “What I was glad for was that I told some friends about my experience and they ended up going to [get] the mammograms they had put off,” she added.
Pandemic aside, she’s always been diligent about her checkups—especially Pap smears—and is very dedicated to her overall wellness. “On my talk show [Busy Philipps Tonight], we did a Pap Rally where we encouraged women who’ve never gotten Pap smears to go,” she said. “I’ve always been very regular about my checkups as a woman.” Which is a good thing, because as she’s learned, checkups save lives.
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