United Kingdom, Aug. 29 -- Busy Philipps has warned women not to ignore their instincts after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The 47-year-old actress discovered her health issues in February after undergoing a full-body MRI scan but her primary care physician originally tried to talk her out of it.

She told PEOPLE: "I didn't know why I wanted to get this scan except for the fact that I just did."

After her primary care doctor insisted that she didn't need the scan, due to her age and good results from her annual physical, Busy consulted her cousin's husband, Beverly Hills internist Dr. Justin Donlan, who told her "knowledge is power".

Busy explained: "What he said really resonated with me. I think that that really speaks to us ...