Tina Knowles
Gets Real About Secret Breast Cancer Battle
Published
CBS
Tina Knowles battled breast cancer last year — and says she shudders thinking what could’ve happened if it hadn’t been caught early … especially since she’d already missed a scheduled mammogram.
Beyoncé’s mom is opening up about the life-changing ordeal in her new book — “Matriarch: The Memoir” — to PEOPLE and CBS Mornings, saying she finally rescheduled the mammogram she missed during the COVID pandemic … and that’s when docs found two tumors.
She said one tumor was benign, but the other turned out to be stage 1 breast cancer in her left breast … admitting she was in total disbelief — especially since she’s always been on top of her health.
Tina said Beyoncé took the news like a champ — staying calm and focused, even though she could see her mind racing on how to handle it. Solange was a bit more chill, but essentially, Tina said her girls became her team.
She had surgery to remove the tumor last year, along with a breast reduction. She’s doing great now, cancer-free, and credits God for helping her catch it early.
Tina acknowledged how crucial it is to get that first mammogram on time, admitting if she’d gone the first time, it could’ve been caught at stage zero. Luckily, it hadn’t spread much by the time they finally found it.