Tina Knowles, mother of global music icon Beyoncé, has disclosed her battle with breast cancer for the first time in her forthcoming memoir Matriarch: A Memoir.
In the book, Knowles recounts learning about her diagnosis during a mammogram appointment she had postponed for years. Doctors discovered a small malignant tumour in her left breast and a larger benign mass in the right, which also needed to be removed.
“I was told it was Stage 1A, and thankfully, my prognosis was encouraging,” she wrote, adding that she was immediately referred to an oncologist and a breast surgeon.
Knowles shared that she only informed Beyoncé on the day of her diagnosis. The pop star, she said, responded calmly but proactively.
“Her mind immediately went into action mode,” Knowles noted. “She was determined to find the best specialists and insisted I get a second opinion on every treatment recommendation.”
With her daughter’s support, Knowles secured a consultation with one of the country’s leading breast surgeons. She later underwent surgery, which included a breast reduction, and was declared cancer-free afterwards.
