Here’s What to Know About Martina Navratilova’s Double Cancer Diagnosis (2024)

On January 2, tennis great Martina Navratilova revealed that she has been diagnosed with two unrelated cancers: stage 1 throat cancer and early-stage breast cancer.

The 66-year-old athletesaid in a statement that an enlarged lymph node in her neck had been biopsied, leading to a diagnosis of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related throat cancer — part of a larger group of cancers known ashead and neck cancers. The breast cancer was discovered during testing on her throat.

Navratilova had a lumpectomy in 2010 after being diagnosedwith a noninvasive form of breast cancer.

“This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I’m hoping for a favorable outcome," Navratilova said in her statement. “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got.”

We spoke withUniversity of Colorado Cancer CentermemberJessica McDermott, MD, an assistant professor of medical oncology at theCU School of Medicine, about Navratilova’s diagnosis and what people need to know about HPV-related cancers.

Here’s What to Know About Martina Navratilova’s Double Cancer Diagnosis (2024)

FAQs

Here’s What to Know About Martina Navratilova’s Double Cancer Diagnosis? ›

The 66-year-old athlete said in a statement that an enlarged lymph node in her neck had been biopsied, leading to a diagnosis of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related throat cancer — part of a larger group of cancers known as head and neck cancers. The breast cancer was discovered during testing on her throat.

Has Martina recovered from cancer? ›

She was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer in 2010. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has thanked medical staff after revealing she is now cancer free.

What stage cancer does Chris Evert have? ›

“The care I received was excellent,” she says. When the pathology report came back, Chris was shocked to learn she had Stage 1 ovarian cancer. Her treatment included another robotic surgery 10 days later and six rounds of chemotherapy.

What kind of cancer did Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have? ›

MORE: Tennis legend Martina Navratilova diagnosed with throat, breast cancer. Former world No. 1 player Evert announced Friday that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer for a second time, a year and a half after finishing her last round of chemotherapy.

What is double cancer? ›

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 07/2021. When a person who has already had cancer develops a new cancer, it is called a second cancer or second primary cancer. It is a completely new and different type of cancer than the first one. A second cancer is not the same as a cancer recurrence.

Has anyone gone into remission from Stage 4 cancer? ›

Can Stage IV cancer go into remission? That depends on the type of cancer. Thanks to newer cancer treatments, some but not all advanced cancers (Stage IV cancer) may go into partial or complete remission. If you have a form of advanced cancer, ask your oncologist what you can expect.

Has anyone survived cancer twice? ›

I was only 48 years old at the time of my second cancer diagnosis, and I was already a survivor of a radical mastectomy due to breast cancer at the age of 32, just 2 years after I had given birth to my daughter, Julianne. I received my diagnosis of breast cancer in 1972, and in those days, treatment was limited.

How did Chris Evert know she had cancer? ›

One year after she announced her initial diagnosis, Evert revealed in an op-ed for ESPN that she was “cancer-free” and shared how her sister's death allowed her to be able to detect her cancer early by providing a “genetic road map.” Genetic testing revealed that Evert Dubin had a BRCA1 variant.

How long can you have ovarian cancer before noticing? ›

Ovarian cancer can go undetected for years without revealing its existence. Unfortunately, ovarian cancer symptoms are vague and at this time there is no accurate way to identify the disease in its earliest stages. As a result, ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has spread throughout the pelvis and abdomen.

How did Chris Evert find out she had ovarian cancer? ›

She shared in her op-ed for ESPN.com earlier this year that a “genetic road map” helped her detect her cancer early. Evert won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995, according to ESPN.

Are Evert and Navratilova friends? ›

The Evert-Navratilova rivalry was a two-woman show. They faced off 80 times -- 60 of which came in tournament finals -- and left their lives intertwined to this day. "I think the moment we became really good friends was the moment we realized that something was bigger than ourselves individually," Evert said.

Does Martina Navratilova have a wife? ›

Julia Lemigova, born Yulia Andreevna Lemigova (Russian: Юлия Андреевна Лемигова; born 26 June 1972) is a Russian former model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USSR 1990 and is married to Martina Navratilova.

Can you be diagnosed with 2 cancers at the same time? ›

It's possible to be diagnosed with multiple cancers at once. This is sometimes referred to as multiple primary malignancies (MPMs), meaning that two or more tumors of different types are present within a single person. Although MPMs are rare, they can occur in various organs and systems throughout the body.

Which cancer has highest recurrence rate? ›

Which types of cancer are more likely to come back?
  • Ovarian cancer.
  • Metastatic melanoma, meaning melanoma that spread or metastasized before diagnosis.
  • Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Mar 30, 2023

How much does chemo age you? ›

On average, chemotherapy accelerated aging by approximately 17 years of life span, with acceleration of 23 to 27 years for those treated with anthracycline-based treatment.

Is Martina cancer-free now? ›

Even though she's now cancer free, finally feeling well enough to go to the gym and enjoying her new hair cut, she's still processing her experience. “Physically, it's been the hardest thing I've ever gone through,” she said. “I almost get PTSD when I come to New York (because) several weeks of treatment were here.”

How is Martina doing with her cancer? ›

Six months after Martina Navratilova shared her “double whammy” cancer diagnosis with the world—stage I throat cancer and unrelated early-stage breast cancer—doctors have declared her free of the disease. But the tennis star is still processing the emotional whiplash she endured during treatment.

Is Chris Evert's cancer in remission? ›

Tennis legend Chris Evert reveals her 'cancer is back' less than one year after remission. Evert announced in January that she was “cancer-free” one year after sharing her stage 1 ovarian cancer diagnosis. Chris Evert announced that her cancer has returned. Evert shared the news in a statement with ESPN on Friday, Dec.

Is Chris Evert cancer-free? ›

She announced that she was cancer-free in an op-ed for ESPN.com in January. “My cancer is back,” Evert, 68, said in a statement shared by ESPN. “While this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I once again feel fortunate that it was caught early.”

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