What Matthew Knowles' Cancer Diagnosis Means for Beyonce and Solange

Matthew Knowles has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and he says Beyonce is being tested to determine whether she carries the breast cancer gene.

The 67-year-old family patriarch opened up about his illness with “Good Morning America” co-anchor Michael Strahan Tuesday morning.

"I went to my doctor, got a mammogram and it became very clear that I had breast cancer,” he said. 

One of the first things he did was call his famous daughters, Beyonce and Solange.

"The very first call was to my family, that was my very first call because this is genetic,” he said. 

His case is rare as only 1% of new breast cancer cases are diagnosed in men. Black men have a higher incidence rate than white men.

Knowles, who once managed Beyonce’s legendary career, says he had himself checked out when he noticed a little blood on his shirt. His mammogram revealed that he has the mutating BRCA-2 gene.

Knowles knew what having the BRCA-2 gene meant for his daughters and grandchildren. 

“It also means that my kids have a higher chance, a higher risk. Even my grandkids have a higher risk. They handled it like they should. They went and got the test,” he said. 

Beyonce hasn't commented on her dad's condition.

RELATED STORIES