Beyoncé’s Parents Each Battled and Overcame Breast Cancer
- After surviving early-stage breast cancer, Tina Knowles—mom of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles—is intentionally working to reduce stress in her life, focusing on slowing down, prioritizing her well-being, all while continuing to advocate for breast cancer awareness.
- Her mother was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in 2024 and beat the disease after surgery. Her father, Matthew Knowles, was diagnosed with stage 1A breast cancer in 2019 and also has successfully recovered.
- Going through cancer can be extremely overwhelming, so having physical and emotional support during or after your battle is crucial. It’s very important to know your limits on what you can handle — including relationships — during treatment, as everyone’s experience and personal choices are different.
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggests women with average breast cancer risk begin screening mammograms once every two years at the age of 40. It’s important to note that women with the BRCA gene mutation, who have a family history of cancer, or have dense breasts are at higher risk and should talk with their doctor about when to begin screening. It may be younger than 40.
- It’s important to remember that survivorship, as seen in Knowles’ case, is not a final destination but an ongoing journey. It begins at the moment of diagnosis and continues throughout a person’s life. This is why people often say that “from the moment of diagnosis, you become a survivor”—a powerful idea that captures the courage and resilience required to face and live with a serious illness.
During a recent panel discussion at the 2026 L.A. Times Festival of Books, the 72-year-old mom of two, who also raised singer Kelly Rowland, shared how she is focusing on her well-being while continuing to advocate for the importance of breast cancer screenings.
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Looking back on how she “missed two” routine breast cancer screenings prior to her July 2024 diagnosis, she advised anyone listening to “go and get your mammograms.”
“It is so important to take care of yourself,” Knowles, who discovered cancer was in her left breast and underwent surgery that year to remove the tumor, in addition a breast reduction, added.
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In addition to pushing others to prioritize screenings, she made she to tell the audience that one’s “inner circle” is everything.
“When you hear the word cancer, it is the most frightening thing that you can ever go through, and you need people around you that are gonna support you and get you through it,” Knowles said.
“I had plenty of people that helped me get through it, but some people are not that fortunate.”
Expert Breast Cancer Resources
- Bi-Annual Mammograms At Age 40 Now Recommended For Most Women, What The New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Mean For You
- Black Women May Need To Start Breast Cancer Screening At 42, According To A New Study
- Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening
- Mammogram That Sees the Future: AI Tool Now Officially Part of Breast Cancer Screening Standards and Experts Say Can Help Detect ‘the Likelihood of a Tumor In Five Years’
- Tattoo Ink Can Complicate Breast Cancer Screenings; Here’s What You Need to Know About Detection and Screening
- The Mammogram Debate: Should Women Start Breast Cancer Screening at 30?
- When You’re Getting a Mammogram, Ask About Dense Breasts
Knowles’ conversation about breast cancer comes just weeks after she announced that her memoir was set to be published.
“I have always been a storyteller, and it’s something I learned from my mother. When I had a family of my own, I believed that my daughters needed to know where they came from in order to know where they were going,” she wrote in an Instagram post, featuring her book cover.
“I’m now ready to share my story with all of you, so that we can all celebrate these themes of strength, motherhood, Black pride, and identity.”
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Knowles continued, “I am calling this book MATRIARCH because what inspires me is the wisdom that women pass on to each other, generation to generation—and the inner wisdom we long to uncover in ourselves.
“Even at 70 I am still learning valuable lessons—revelations that I wish that I would have had at 40 or even 20. I want to share this knowledge now, one to one with the reader, as we laugh and sometimes cry together through all the stages of our lives.”
In an earlier interview with People, Knowles further encouraged others to get their breasts checked, saying, “It’s important not to slack on your mammograms. I struggled with whether I would share that journey [in the book] because I’m very private. But I decided to share it because I think it’s a lot of lessons in it for other women.
“And I think as women, sometimes we get so busy and we get so wrapped up and running around, but you must go get your test. Because if I had not gotten my test early, I mean, I shudder to think what could have happened to me.”
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Tina explained further, “We can catch cancer at stage 1 or even stage 0, I didn’t know there was a stage 0, I could have caught this at stage 0 if I had not missed my mammogram but I did because of COVID.
“I think as women, sometimes we get so busy and we get so wrapped up and running around, but you must go get your test. Because if I had not gotten my test early, I mean, I shudder to think what could have happened to me.”
Matthew Knowles’ Breast Cancer Journey
Music World Entertainment’s chief executive officer Matthew Knowles, the 73-year-old dad of Beyonce and Solange Knowles, has also become an advocate for breast cancer, a disease he was diagnosed with back in 2019 and beat.
After battling stage 1A breast cancer, Knowles – also a famed author, professor, and public speaker – has continued to urge others to know the signs and risks of male breast cancer in an effort to lead others to early detection.
Knowles, who spoke at the 2023 Breast Cancer Gala as the keynote speaker in Grand Cayman, told Cayman Compass, “I want to share my ideas on how I think we should approach male breast cancer in a different way.”
He said “A lot of men in the last three, four years have come and said, ‘Oh I have that too, but I was too embarrassed to talk about it,’ or ‘I wanted to go but I was just embarrassed,’ so if we can get across that line, I think we will even have more men that go for early detection and know the warning signs of breast cancer.
“And the same for women; it’s all about early detection.”
Knowles insists he’s been an advocate for early detection of breast cancer for about four decades, telling the news outlet, “I hear so many men embarrassed, feel as though there is a stigma attached to breast cancer versus male breast cancer or male chest cancer.”
Referring to how he often spreads positive messages on his social media accounts, he said, “I send positive messages almost every day. I’m just that person that I always reach for the sky and the stars and have faith. And you say thriver, I like that. But I say survivor [referring to himself] only because I co-wrote a song called “I’m a Survivor.”
“The words of that song are, “I’m a survivor, I’m not gonna give up. I’m gonna make it.”
Knowles, a well-informed role model in the health and cancer communities, previously spoke with SurvivorNet to encourage people to be proactive about their health, and to let men know they can get breast cancer, too.
The “male chest cancer survivor,” as he prefers to be called, carries the BRCA2 (BReast CAncer 2) gene mutation. This means that his children have a 50% chance of also carrying the gene that predisposes you to certain types of cancers. (In a prior interview, Knowles says that Beyonce and Solange have tested negative for the gene mutation.)
In Knowles’ interview with SurvivorNet, he said he takes charge of his health just like he would a business. Since his diagnosis, he says he stopped drinking and made some major lifestyle changes, including eating a clean diet.
Knowles said he first suspected something to be off with his body when he noticed little drops of blood on his white shirts and on his bedding in July of 2019.
Thanks to his prior experience selling breast cancer imaging equipment, he said, “I knew from years ago what that meant, and I immediately went to my physician who immediately referred me to get a mammogram that led to an ultrasound that led to a biopsy that led to surgery.
“Somewhere in all of this, there was a delay in getting back my pathology report. Had I got my pathology report back sooner, I would have had a double mastectomy, but I didn’t. In all my years working (in medical sales) I had never heard the words BRCA2 or that I was mutated genetically. I knew nothing about BRCA2 or genetic mutation.”
He added, “Had I not checked, what would that have looked like? It would have been progressive. It could have spread into my lymph nodes. I am now the face of this for men. I’ve been given this opportunity to save lives and I take it very seriously.”
What Are the Options if You Have a High Risk of Developing Breast Cancer?
Coping With a Loved One’s Cancer Diagnosis: Prioritizing Your Mental Health
When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer and you suddenly find yourself filling the role of a caregiver, the lifestyle change can be jarring. Caregivers are often spouses, partners, adult children, parents, or trusted friends of the person living with cancer. Although Beyoncé did not take on a caregiver type role, she did support her parents through their health struggles.
It’s important to remember that many people welcome the role of caregiver and the opportunity to help out someone they care about deeply, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Filling a caregiver role can be extremely stressful and caregivers often neglect their own needs, which can create a host of additional problems.
RELATED: Check Out SurvivorNet’s Resources on Mental Health
So what can caregivers do to make sure they are healthy, both mentally and physically, as well? We spoke to doctors, patient advocates, spiritual leaders, and caregivers who have been through cancer with someone they love dearly to round up some of the best advice.
And if you need help with finances, we provide resources you can consider to cope with the cancer bills. If your loved one has just been diagnosed and you are just starting your journey as a caregiver, here are the first steps you should take.
What You Need to Know About Survivorship
Whether you’re beginning your journey into survivorship or are a seasoned survivor, you’ll quickly learn that it’s a term with many layers. At its simplest, ‘survivorship’ signifies the state of living beyond a challenging event or diagnosis, such as cancer. More specifically, it marks the period after treatment where a patient goes from merely surviving to thriving, as they navigate their newfound lease on life.
It’s important to remember that survivorship isn’t just an end state – it’s a continuous journey. It begins the moment a person is diagnosed with a significant health condition and continues throughout their life. You might hear people say things like, “from the moment of diagnosis, you become a survivor.”
It’s a powerful sentiment that reflects the courage and resilience involved in battling a serious illness.
Being a survivor also means redefining your life while coping with the aftermath of disease and its treatment. This phase might include the challenge of dealing with physical and emotional changes, attending regular check-ups, the fear of recurrence, or the need for long-term medication. Despite these hurdles, many survivors find unique strength, growth, and transformation during this time.
Survivorship is much more than just the absence of disease—it’s a new stage of life, a rite of passage. Your journey might not have been one you would have chosen, but through it, you’ll uncover a greater understanding of yourself and what you’re capable of. Each person’s survivorship journey is unique, and how you choose to travel is entirely up to you.
Remember—navigating this new terrain called ‘Survivorship’. It might be challenging, but remember, you’re not alone. There are ample resources and support systems designed to help you along the way.
Continued Medical Care
Don’t lose sight of the importance of continued medical care – always keep your follow-up appointments and adhere to any healthcare recommendations.
Remember, embracing these coping strategies can help you navigate your way into survivorship with greater ease and renewed energy. Just remember – slow and steady wins the race! You’ve overcome huge hurdles, it’s okay to take this new stage of your life at your own pace.
Resilient learning to overcome any obstacle
Additionally, health checkups are an integral part of maintaining wellness and spotting potential health issues early. This holds true for everyone, but even more so for a person who’s in the throes of survivorship.
One of the main reasons you’ll want to maintain routine health checks is to monitor for recurrence. While the hope is always for complete recovery, there’s a possibility of the disease returning—even with successful treatment. Regular checkups allow you to keep a vigilant eye on the situation, leading to early detection and treatment if any problem emerges.
All About Breast Cancer Screenings
The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
Screening For Breast Cancer
For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age
- Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Added exposure to estrogen
- Having children after the age of 30
- Exposure to radiation early in life
- Family history of the disease
About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
“We encourage only those who have a family history to really get [genetic testing],” Dr. Ginsburg previously told SurvivorNet. “I would say that if you have anyone in your family who was diagnosed with a very rare cancer. Or if you have a strong family history of one or two kinds of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian, but also colon, rectal, uterine, and ovarian cancer, that goes together in another cancer syndrome called the Lynch Syndrome.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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