Tina Knowles, an American fashion designer and the mother of Beyonce, revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July during an interview with People Magazine last week.
Knowles, who recently published the memoir Matriach, stressed that "It's important not to slack on your mammograms" - especially given that she had mistakenly missed her appointment two years prior to her diagnosis.
She was diagnosed in July with the first stage of cancer and underwent surgery to remove the tumor and reduce her breast size shortly after.
"I struggled with whether I would share that journey [in the book] because I'm very private. But I decided to share it because I think it's a lot of lessons in it for other women," she told the magazine. "And I think as women, sometimes we get so busy and we get so wrapped up and running around, but you must go get your test. Because if I had not gotten my test early, I mean, I shudder to think what could have happened to me."
The surgery was successful and Knowles is now enjoying her life in good health.
“I’m doing great,” she shared. “Cancer-free and incredibly blessed that God allowed me to find it early."
What you need to know about breast cancer
Breast cancer is where cells within the breast tissue grow out of control, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The type of breast cancer depends on which variant of cell grows.
Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), responsible for 70-80% of breast cancer cases, can often be identified by the feeling of a lump in the breast or armpit area. However, not all breast cancer has this warning sign - as is the case with the second most common variety, Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).
As many as one in eight women in Israel could develop breast cancer, according to the Israel Cancer Association. While most cases are found in women, men can also develop breast cancer.
Of the 4500 women diagnosed with this type of cancer yearly in Israel, 900 perish of the disease. Israel is 26th in the world in the occurrence rate of the disease and 71st in the mortality rate from it, according to statistics published by the Health Ministry in 2020.