Singer Beyoncé’s Father Mathew, 74, Says His Daughter’s Song, ‘Survivor,’ Carries Special Meaning to Him After Battling Cancer

Knowles previously shared with SurvivorNet that he was aware of his family’s history with cancer before he was diagnosed.

“In my family, my mother’s sister died of breast cancer, and two of her three daughters died of breast cancer,” Knowles said.

“[Male breast cancer is] one of those things men don’t like to talk about because society has made us think we can’t talk about it,” Knowles told BET.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 2,670 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year.

A 2025 study published in “Breast Cancer Research and Treatment” analyzed national cancer database records from 2010 to 2021, identifying 20,470 male breast cancer cases. The racial and ethnic breakdown was:

• 78.2% White
• 13.8% Black
• 2.5% Asian or Pacific Islander
• 4% Hispanic

While white men made up the majority of cases, the study found that Black men had worse overall survival compared with white men. After adjusting for socioeconomic factors, however, this disparity was no longer statistically significant, thus suggesting the difference stems more from social determinants of health than biology alone.

Given these findings, Knowles hopes his visibility can help drive greater awareness, particularly among Black men.

“Men do not think about their cancer risk, and Black men have historically had worse cancer outcomes. Early detection and research are critical to saving lives,” he told “The Gadsden Messenger,” an Alabama-based newspaper.

“If I can save someone’s life today, then that makes today really special,” Knowles said.

Why the BRCA Gene Mutation Matters

“I was fortunate to be stage 1A, and it hadn’t spread,” Knowles told SurvivorNet. He adds that he carries the BRCA2 gene mutation for breast cancer.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 normally help regulate cell growth. When mutated, they lose that control, allowing abnormal tissue to grow unchecked.

“I know that we often associate breast cancer, primarily the female side of the family, but the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations can actually be transmitted also by males,” according to University of Maryland breast medical oncologist Dr. Kate Tkaczuk.

While the chance of carrying an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in the general population is about 0.2%-0.3%, the National Cancer Institute says, and if you’re of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, there’s about a 2.0% likelihood of carrying the mutation in one of these two genes.

WATCH: Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer

Patients from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to ask about genetic testing to learn if they carry the BRCA gene mutation.

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Clinical Imaging, Black and Hispanic women see “lower rates of genetic screening.”

Understanding Male Breast Cancer

Like women, men have breast tissue and can develop breast cancer. Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast start growing out of control, typically forming a tumor that’s felt as a lump.

 

WATCH: Men Get Breast Cancer Too

A man’s risk of developing breast cancer may be higher if there’s a history of breast cancer in the family. Typically, male breast cancer manifests as lumps in the chest area. Factors like a patient’s race can impact the prognosis. Five types of standard treatment are used to treat breast cancer in men:

• Surgery for breast cancer in men mirrors the procedure in women. A modified radical mastectomy removes the whole breast with cancer. The result may involve removing the nipple, according to the National Cancer Institute.
• Chemotherapy involves cancer-killing drugs to prevent the cancer cells from growing. Chemo drugs are usually taken orally or intravenously.
• Hormone therapy involves removing hormones or blocking their ability to help cancer cells grow.
• In radiation therapy, high-energy beams such as X-rays are aimed at cancer cells to kill them.
• Targeted therapy treatment uses drugs designed to target specific cancer cells.

 

WATCH: Marc Futterweit shares his breast cancer journey.

When Marc Futterweit was told to get a mammogram by his doctor, like Roundtree, he, too, was in disbelief.

“I said, What do you mean by a mammogram?’ I don’t have breasts,” Futterweit recalled saying.

However, a second opinion from another physician confirmed Futterweit had breast cancer.

“When I was first diagnosed, I didn’t tell my wife. I thought I was holding it together,” Futterweit said.

When his family learned he was battling breast cancer, they supported him. Having a support group filled with loved ones is an important part of a cancer patient’s journey toward survivorship, according to experts SurvivorNet has spoken to.

He realized that with their support, having male breast cancer is nothing to be ashamed of.

“Men are basically standing in the shadows; they’re ashamed or embarrassed,” Futterweit says.

“Just remember, it’s nothing that you have done to cause you to get breast cancer. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s not a woman’s disease,” he continued.

Help Coping With a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

If you are facing a breast cancer diagnosis, your emotions are likely to run high, which is completely normal. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says emotions are often fluid when coping with a diagnosis.

“The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive wave of stress the next. It’s also important for those you look to for support, whether that’s a therapist, friends, family, or both, to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions,” Dr. Plutchik said.

WATCH: How to cope with complex and changing emotions.

If a stressful event affects how you think and feel, it may be time to seek mental health treatment. This could mean traditional talk therapy, medication, changing lifestyle habits (like exercise and diet), seeking a support group, or many other approaches.

SurvivorNet experts suggest that patients needing a little extra help coping with a breast cancer diagnosis.

• Let your family and close friends know, and let them help. So many cancer survivors tell us they want and need support, but are often too preoccupied to make specific requests. Urge those close to you to jump in with whatever practical help they can offer.
• Keep a journal. It can be extremely cathartic to let those feelings loose on paper. Grab a pen and a nice journal and chronicle your thoughts throughout the day.
• Join a cancer support group. Groups in nearly every community offer opportunities to connect with others going through a similar journey. You’ll learn constructive insight from others who can tell you what to expect and how to stay strong on tough days.
• Consider seeing a therapist. Ask your doctor to refer you to a therapist so you can discuss your fears and concerns in a safe space. Often, vocalizing your thoughts and feelings rather than internalizing them can provide relief.

Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams

Men and women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts and chests feel normally, so when something unusual, like a lump, does form, it can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast or chest in a circular motion.

For some women, that means going to their doctor and walking through what a self-breast exam looks like, so they know what normal breast tissue feels like, so if they do feel something abnormal, whether it’s a lump or discharge from the nipple, they know what to ask and what to look for.

In the case of men, periodically checking the chest for anything unusual or painful can help detect issues worth further exploration with your doctor.

Below are common symptoms to look out for:

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
• Any change in the size or shape of the breast
• Swelling of all or part of the breast
• Skin dimpling or peeling
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple turning inward
• Redness or scaliness of the breast or nipple skin
• Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding)

Coping With Chemotherapy Side Effects for Breast Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy is an effective tool for oncologists to help treat cancer by stopping cancerous cells from growing, dividing, and spreading to other organs. Chemo works by traveling through the bloodstream, killing cancerous cells. However, healthy cells are also impacted in the process, leading to side effects.

Patients almost universally experience fatigue, often alongside gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea. Doctors have many effective medications to combat chemo-induced nausea. “But mitigating that fatigue often depends on the patient,” says Dr. Renata Urban, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“Neuropathy is probably one of the most challenging side effects,” says Dr. Urban. Neuropathy results from damage to the peripheral nerves. It usually resolves after chemotherapy treatment, but sometimes symptoms can persist. While it’s typically characterized by numbness or a pins-and-needles sensation in the hands and feet, neuropathy can have several different symptoms, including:

• Weakness in the hands or feet
• Stabbing or burning pain in the hands or feet
• Difficulty gripping, such as when holding a fork
• Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as writing or buttoning a shirt

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy. When chemotherapy affects the rapidly dividing cells in the lining of the stomach, the resulting cellular havoc in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to side effects such as nausea and vomiting. However, doctors can help patients mitigate the hit with various medications before, during, and after treatment.

“Part of the chemotherapy prescription includes a set regimen of anti-nausea medications,” says Dr. Urban. “We also ensure that patients have medications at home that they can use should they develop nausea after treatment.”

Hair loss is another side effect of chemotherapy.

WATCH: Coping with hair loss.

“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.

Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.

It happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells but also hair cells.

Most patients can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, it is possible that when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.

Tips for Navigating Chemo Side Effects

When dealing with fatigue, doctors don’t have an arsenal of weapons to combat fatigue in terms of prescription medications. However, you can do several things to help minimize the hit and restore your energy.

• Exercise: While it may be counterintuitive, physical activity can help alleviate side effects, especially fatigue. “Although ovarian cancer is not common, we often draw upon the experience of patients with breast cancer and colon cancer, who have shown that physical activity can not only improve quality of life but may also have beneficial impacts on cancer outcomes,” Dr. Urban says.
• Eat well: Even though nausea may interfere with your ability to eat a healthy diet, it’s essential to ensure you’re eating appropriately, getting enough protein, and not losing weight. Not only will nourishing your body support your recovery, but it may also help you feel more energized.
• Sleep: Want to mitigate fatigue? Be sure to maintain your regular sleep-wake cycle while on treatment. Sticking to a set sleep schedule helps reduce fatigue by ensuring enough hours for your body to heal and restore itself each night. It may also help you recover more quickly by keeping energy levels high during the daytime.

Treating Neuropathy Symptoms

Doctors have several strategies for helping patients deal with this side effect. Once a patient begins experiencing the symptoms of neuropathy, they’ll be carefully monitored to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Before each chemotherapy infusion, the attending oncologist will assess whether the symptoms have progressed. If the symptoms worsen, they may adjust the dose or delay treatment. They may also try switching to another chemotherapy drug.

How to Get a Handle on Nausea

Most of these anti-nausea medications last for more than eight hours. One of the infusions commonly used reduces the degree of nausea for up to three days.

Complementary approaches may also be helpful. A few favorites:

• Ginger: Studies consistently show that ginger helps alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea. The powerful herb appears to have an anti-spasmodic effect on the gut. Not a fan of raw ginger? Suck on ginger candy, sip ginger ale, or make a steaming cup of ginger tea.
• Pressure bracelets: at your local pharmacy, these bracelets provide consistent pressure on a particular acupressure point on the wrist to reduce nausea.
• Deep breathing: Moving air in and out of your lungs with a few deep breaths can help relieve nausea, particularly if you pair deep breathing exercises with meditation. It can also help you relax and release stress and anxiety.

WATCH: Managing chemo side effects.

Coping with Hair Loss

If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things.

Another option that can minimize hair loss is cryotherapy, “just a fancy way of saying cold therapy,” says Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Cryotherapy involves wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment

Questions for Your Doctor

If you are facing a breast cancer diagnosis, whether you’re a man or a woman, here are some questions you can ask your doctor to learn more about it.

• What kind of breast cancer do I have?
• Has the cancer spread to other parts of the body?
• What stage is my cancer in?
• What other tests should I seek to better understand the cancer before deciding on treatment?
• What are your treatment recommendations and their likely side effects?
• What other doctors can give me additional opinions?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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