Public figure
What Martina Navratilova's Story Can Teach Us About Breast and Throat Cancer
The tennis champion shared diagnoses of breast cancer and, years later, throat cancer. Here is what those diagnoses really mean, explained calmly and simply.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
On screen
Tennis champion Martina Navratilova shared publicly in 2010 that she had been diagnosed with an early, non-invasive form of breast cancer, which was treated. In early 2023, she shared that she had been diagnosed with two separate cancers — an early-stage breast cancer and a throat cancer — and spoke openly about facing treatment.
That is what was publicly shared. We do not speculate about private medical details beyond what she chose to make public, and the choices she made about her care were her own.
The reality
According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is cancer that starts in the breast, when cells there grow without control and form a mass called a tumor. NCI explains that when abnormal cells are still within the ducts or lobules and have not spread to other breast tissue, it is called carcinoma in situ — a very early finding. Invasive breast cancers have spread into surrounding tissue.
NCI describes throat cancer as part of the group called head and neck cancers, which include cancers of the throat, voice box, mouth, and nearby areas. NCI notes that tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, and infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) increase the risk of head and neck cancers.
What the story gets right — and what to remember
Navratilova's story illustrates something important: a person can face more than one cancer, and cancers in different parts of the body are separate diseases with their own characteristics. Early findings, like carcinoma in situ, are caught at a very early point. Every person's situation is different, and having faced one cancer does not predict another. Her story is a reason to learn about awareness and screening, not medical advice for anyone else.
Awareness, screening & prevention
For breast cancer, NCI describes screening — most commonly mammography — as an important part of routine care, and notes that finding breast cancer early can make it easier to treat. For head and neck cancers, NCI provides prevention information and points to reducing tobacco and alcohol use and to HPV vaccination as ways to lower risk of related cancers, and offers screening information for oral cavity cancers. When and how you are screened for either is a personal decision to make with a healthcare professional.
Turning a story into something useful
A champion speaking candidly about two diagnoses can make screening and awareness feel more approachable. Learning what early breast cancer means, understanding the known risk factors for head and neck cancers, and knowing when to talk with a doctor about screening are calm, practical takeaways. Sharing accurate information, and supporting free cancer education, helps this reach more people.
Questions to ask a healthcare team
- When should I begin breast cancer screening, and how often?
- What does an early-stage or "in situ" finding mean?
- How do tobacco, alcohol, and HPV affect head and neck cancer risk?
- Where can I find reliable, patient-friendly information about these cancers?