Tina Knowles, the mother of global music icon Beyonce, has shared her personal journey with breast cancer for the first time in her newly released memoir, Matriarch: A Memoir. In the heartfelt revelation, Knowles detailed how a delayed mammogram led to the discovery of a cancerous tumor, setting her on an unexpected path of diagnosis and recovery.
Knowles explained that she had postponed her mammogram for several years before finally going in for the appointment that revealed her diagnosis.
“My doctor told me I had breast cancer,” she wrote. “A small tumour in my left breast that was cancerous; the larger tumour in my right breast was benign, but it would also have to go.”
According to Knowles, her doctor assured her that the cancer was detected at an early stage.
“She said I was Stage 1A, assuring me my prognosis was good. The next step was to talk to an oncologist and a breast surgeon.”
In the memoir, Knowles also recounted the moment she told her daughter Beyonce about the diagnosis. She waited until the very day she received the news to inform her.
“She took it well, staying positive, and I could already feel her mind racing, focusing on this as a task to tackle with precision,” she said of Beyonce’s reaction. “She would find me the top specialist, and I distinctly remember her telling me, ‘I want you to get a second opinion on whatever the course of treatment is.’”
True to her word, Beyonce quickly mobilized to support her mother, ensuring she received the best care possible.
Knowles said her daughter “lined up one of the top breast surgery specialists in the country” for a private consultation, showing just how involved and determined she was to help.
Following the surgery, which also included a breast reduction, Knowles confirmed that she is now cancer-free, a triumphant outcome that she shares in hopes of encouraging others to stay on top of their health and get screened regularly.
