Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has revealed she is battling two forms of cancer—an early-stage throat malignancy, and an unrelated breast tumor discovered at the same time.
“This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I’m hoping for a favorable outcome,” she told Tennis.com. “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all have I got.”
The 66-year-old, who has 59 Grand Slam titles and is considered one of the very best tennis players in history, noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck, her spokesperson said.
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“When it didn’t go down, a biopsy was performed, the results came back as stage one throat cancer,” the statement said.
“At the same time as Martina was undergoing the tests for the throat, a suspicious form was found in her breast, which was subsequently diagnosed as cancer, completely unrelated to the throat cancer.”
Navratilova was diagnosed with non-invasive breast cancer—ductal carcinoma in situ—in 2010. She had a lumpectomy and radiation and became an advocate for frequent screenings and women’s health care.
“I was lucky,” she said earlier this year.
Navratilova, who does commentary for the Tennis Channel, will begin treatment this month. “The prognosis is good,” her rep said, adding that the cancer was caused by human papillomavirus, which “responds really well to treatment.”
