Entertainment executive Mathew Knowles has fought off breast cancer via a mastectomy and is planning another because testing uncovered a genetic mutation with potentially life-altering ramifications for himself and his family.
Knowles said the cancer appeared in July, leading to the discovery of a mutation in one of the so-called “breast cancer genes,” specifically BRCA2.
Because Knowles has the mutation, each of his children – including his daughters Beyoncé and Solange – has a 50% chance of having it. If any females have it, their risks increase sharply for breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Aggressive, proactive response to the risks associated with this genetic mutation became part of the national conversation years ago when actress Angelina Jolie learned that she had the BRCA1 mutation and opted for a preventive double mastectomy. She then had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to guard against ovarian cancer.
As a longtime volunteer for the American Heart Association, Knowles knew he was fighting more than cancer, the No. 2 killer of Americans. Cancer patients can