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Beyoncé and Solange Knowles' father is fighting a battle against cancer. A few months ago, Mathew Knowles began the necessary treatments to combat breast cancer in the first phase, something that took him by surprise as it's an unusual condition in men. The 67-year-old music producer revealed his condition in an interview with Good Morning America, and also called for awareness about this disease, since it isn't exclusive to women.
The father of the Single Ladies singer told host Michael Strahan that it all started when he noticed a few drops of blood on his shirts. His wife, Gena, also let him know that there were strange blood stains on the bed sheets. Knowles went to get the relevant tests, which concluded that it was cancer.
He explained that they first took a blood sample, but that it was inconclusive and that the next step was more accurate. “Then I had a mammogram and that's when we saw that, in fact, there was breast cancer there. Then came an ultrasound and a needle biopsy. That's when they determined with certainty: I had cancer.”
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When he heard the diagnosis, Mathew was surprised. "Among all the things I could get sick of, why did it have to be this?," referring to breast cancer.
The music producer said that after knowing the diagnosis, he contacted his beloved ones: "The first call was to my family because this is genetic," he explained. “My children have a high risk of having it, even my grandchildren. And they handled it as they should: they took the exams.”
At the end of July, Jay Z's father-in-law underwent surgery to remove one of his glands. "I'm fine, I had my surgery in the last week of July and I'm recovering," he said. "I'll have to be alert and be aware of having constant mammograms and other studies for the rest of my life." Next January, the singer's father will undergo another surgery to remove the other gland and thus reduce the risk of a relapse. In the interview, Mathew Knowles talked about the importance of raising awareness in both men and women about this condition.
He also said that he wants to establish "a dialogue on awareness and early detection, whether it's a man or a woman. The key to this is early detection."
"It's necessary for men to share their stories if they've had breast cancer. They must tell others if they have the disease so we can have the correct figures and better research." He stressed that, on many occasions, men feel ashamed for this condition. However, there is no reason to feel that way. "Men want to keep this a secret because we feel ashamed and there's no reason for that."