When entertainment executive Matthew Knowles, better known as singer Beyoncé's father, announced he had breast cancer this week, many men were shocked. It's not a well-known fact that men can fall victim to this devastating disease, which is thought of as striking only women.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and is a good time to make sure that males are also aware of the signs and symptoms. According to the American Cancer Society, the 2019 estimates for breast cancer in men are:

• About 2,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed.
• About 500 men will die from breast cancer.

The ACS says that breast cancer is 100 times less common among white men than white women and 70 times less common among African-American men than African-American women. Like black women, black men with breast cancer tend to have a worse outcome.

Knowles announced his battle with the disease, saying that he had a mastectomy performed and is planning to have another because genetic testing revealed he had a genetic mutation with potentially life-altering ramifications not only for himself but also for his family. This mutation, called BRCA2, has a 50% chance of affecting his daughters, Beyoncé and Solange, drastically increasing their risk for both breast and ovarian cancers.

In coming forward with his diagnosis, Knowles says his mission is to help others.

"I don't want people to be worried — I want them to be proactive," he said. "The sooner you address it, the better chance you have of living a normal lifestyle and living a normal life."

According to the Mayo Clinic, signs and symptoms of male breast cancer include:

• A painless lump or thickening in your breast tissue.
• Changes in the skin covering your breast.
• Changes to your nipple, such as redness or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward.
• Discharge from your nipple.

It was the last symptom that caught Matthew's eye. He noticed a red, bloody spot on his shirt above his right nipple, which returned after a few days. A mammogram revealed a stage 1A tumor and he became one of the uncommon statistics.

Dr. Herman Kattlove, a Los Angeles-based oncologist and former spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, tells Newsmax: "Men should be aware that although it is uncommon, they can develop breast cancer. If a man finds a lump in his breast, he should see a doctor for an evaluation. The doctor may order a mammogram, which can usually tell if the lump is cancer. If so, a biopsy will be performed to make the diagnosis. Men who have family members with breast cancer will be more likely to develop this condition."

Knowles has decided to have a second mastectomy in January to eliminate any risk from his left breast. Experts say that his risks of other forms of cancer such as prostate, skin, and pancreatic are also increased because of the BRCA2 gene mutation.

"I have let both Beyoncé and Solange be aware and know what's required," he says. "They proudly do routine screening. Fortunately, my daughters have a wonderful team of experts that have certainly been vigilant in making sure they are OK."