Beyonce and Solange Knowles got themselves tested for the mutated BRCA2 gene after learning of their dad Mathew's breast cancer diagnosis.
The former Destiny's Child manager spoke about his diagnosis in an interview on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America on Wednesday (02Oct19) - the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
And in his chat with Michael Strahan, Mathew revealed that the first call he made when he learned of his health battle was to his famous family members - because he knows there's a good chance that his children could be carriers of the same gene, which would make them more likely to suffer from cancer in later years.
"The first call was to my family, because this is genetics - it means that my kids have a higher chance, a higher risk (of getting cancer), even my grandkids have a higher risk, and they handled it like they should - they went and got the test," Mathew explained. He didn't reveal the results of the tests.
Mathew is a father of four - he shares Beyonce and Solange with ex-wife Tina and two young children with current spouse Gena Avery who he married in 2013.
He added that after being told he had breast cancer, he was warned by his doctor that being a carrier of the gene means it's more likely he might suffer from prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer or melanoma at another time of his life. He will continue to have regular mammograms and other examinations to ensure he is free from the disease.
As for how the music mogul is doing now, he told Strahan: "I'm doing really well. I had my surgery the last week of July and now I'm going through all the steps for recovery."
