Mathew Knowles Reveals Beyoncé and Solange Got Tested after His Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Mathew Knowles was diagnosed with breast cancer, and the possible implications for his family terrified him.

Mathew Knowles, the father of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2019, and his first impulse was to call his family.

Mathew has already seen the ravages breast cancer can wreak on a family since his maternal aunt and both her daughters succumbed to the disease.

PROPENSITY FOR CANCER IS GENETIC

Mathew learned that the results of his BRCA genetic survey showed a mutation on his BRCA2 gene, which puts him at risk for prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and breast cancer.

Unfortunately, this gene is inherited and can be passed on, to Mathew's children, and even his grandchildren.

BEYONCÉ AND SOLANGE TESTED FOR CANCER GENE

As soon as Mathew informed his daughters of his dire diagnosis, they too submitted themselves for testing. Mathew had a mastectomy and will be removing his second breast in January 2020 as a preventive measure.

HOW MATHEW KNOWLES DISCOVERED HIS CANCER

Mathew revealed that the first indication that something wasn't right was a single drop of blood on a white T.shirt. He dismissed it, but then it happened again, he mentioned it to his wife who told him she'd found blood on their bedsheets.

MATHEW KNOWLES URGES PEOPLE TO UNDERGO SCREENING

Both Beyonce, 38, and her sister Solange, 33, were screened to see if they carried the potentially fatal BRCA2 gene mutation and Mathew urges people to follow their lead.

An early diagnosis is the key to surviving cancer, he explained. Mathew is now in good health but will be keeping a close watch for opportunistic cancers for which his mutated gene puts him at risk.

MALE BREAST CANCER: RARE BUT REAL

Mathew Knowles was stunned when a small worry took him to the doctor and resulted in a frightening diagnosis: breast cancer.

He had found small spots of blood on his shirt a few times, and then on his bedsheets, and that prompted him to seek medical advice.

A mammogram revealed he was suffering from breast cancer, a disease that is all too common in women, but rare in men.

There are approximately 2,600 cases of male breast cancer a year - a low rate compared to the 1 in 8 cases in women, but nonetheless real, and deadly.

And like any cancer, the key to survival is early detection, and so Mathew has made it his mission to spread the word to men, to be alert for any signs and seek medical help.