As Martina Navratilova is diagnosed with throat and breast cancer – the 14 signs you need to know

TENNIS star Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with two forms of cancer.

The 66-year-old said the ‘double whammy’ was serious but fixable.

In November, she discovered an enlarged lymph node in her neck.

And, as reported by The Times, tests subsequently led to a suspicious form being found in her breast.

No details have been released on the treatment of her breast cancer other than that it is “completely unrelated to the throat cancer”.

But what are the signs of the two illnesses you need to know?

Breast cancer

Guidance from the NHS states that breast cancer can have several symptoms, with the first usually being a lump or a thickened area of breast tissue.

You should contact your GP if you notice any of the below:

1. a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
2. discharge from either of your nipples, which may be streaked with blood
3. a lump or swelling in either of your armpits
4. dimpling on the skin of your breasts
5. a rash on or around your nipple
6. a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast.

Data from Breast Cancer Now states that the illness is the most common cancer in the UK.

Around 55,000 women and 370 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with one woman being diagnosed every ten minutes, the charity’s figures show.

In the US, data from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) states that about 264,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and about 2,400 in men each year.

Throat cancer

Head and neck cancers are responsible for over 4,000 deaths a year in the UK, figures from Cancer Research UK states.

There are different types, including mouth, voice box and those affecting the thyroid gland.

Throat cancer is a head and neck cancer and the charity states that most of the time, symptoms of the illness are similar to much less serious conditions.

However, there are over 12,000 cases a year, so it’s important to know the signs of the disease.

The charity said that there are eight symptoms you need to be aware of.

These are:

1. ear pain
2. a sore throat
3. a lump in the neck
4. difficulty swallowing
5. unexplained weight loss
6. a cough
7. shortness of breath
8. a feeling of something stuck in the throat

Following her diagnosis, Navratilova will not travel to Melbourne for punditry work at the Australian Open later this month.

A spokeswoman for the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion added that “both these cancers are in early stages with great outcomes”.

Navratilova will undergo treatment on her stage one throat cancer in January.

Caused by the human papillomavirus, it is only located in one part of her throat and has not spread to her vocal chords.

Navratilova’s incredible tennis career spanned 32 years from 1974 to 2006.

She won a remarkable 59 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles.

And she has claimed more Wimbledon singles titles than any other player in history – winning the tournament nine times between 1978 and 1990.