By Nehru Odeh
Beyonce’s mum, Tina Knowles, has revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. And that she underwent surgery to remove two tumours. According to her, the diagnosis came after a delayed mammogram appointment.
Knowles, 71, opened up about her stage one breast cancer diagnosis during an interview for her new book, Matriarch.
She told CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King that when she finally went in for the screening, doctors found two tumours in her left breast, one of which was benign, while the other had stage 1 cancer.
Knowles underwent a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous tumour in August and is now cancer-free.
After the successful surgery, the “Matriarch” author developed a serious infection that nearly forced her to miss Glamour’s 2024 Women of the Year event, where she was honoured in October.
“I was nervous,” she recalled of her mindset going into the operating room, adding that Beyoncé, 43, Solange, 38, and a few friends visited her in the hospital for support.
“I’ve always tried to take care of myself. I just … was in disbelief,” she said.
“It’s important not to slack on your mammograms,” Knowles told People.
She also said her initial appointment was delayed due to COVID, and she forgot to reschedule it.
Knowles remembered Beyoncé noticing she seemed off and urging her not to go to the ceremony.
“She was like, ‘Your health is more important. Don’t go,” the fashion designer said.
However, Knowles noted that she wanted to accept the award in person to celebrate her new lease on life.
“A lot of my life, I just refused to be recognised. I would never take an award. I would never want the attention on me,” the grandmother of four said.
“This was my saying, ‘I deserve this.’”
The mother and author found out about her life-changing diagnosis last July as she was finishing her book Matriarch.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
However, she acknowledged that her daughters were optimistic that she would survive it. She said Beyoncé “took it well” and remained optimistic when she first found out the news.. She also said Solange told her, “Mom, we are going to take care of this.”
Knowles told the outlet that her family doesn’t have a history of breast cancer and no one on her side has the BRCA gene, which is linked to cancer.
“I’m doing great,” she said.
“Cancer-free and incredibly blessed that God allowed me to find it early, she enthused.”