Tennis Champ Navratilova Says She Has Breast Cancer

Posted on Apr 7, 2010

AP Video via USA Today

Tennis star Martina Navratilova has added her name to the list of women battling breast cancer in the public eye. On Wednesday, Navratilova announced that she has the disease on “Good Morning America.” Luckily, it’s of the noninvasive and highly treatable variety.  —KA

USA Today:

Navratilova said that the cancer in her left breast — diagnosed as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) — was first detected during a mammogram in early January.

DCIS is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer and is sometimes referred to as Stage 0 or precancer.

Though DCIS is hardly ever life-threatening, it carries an increased risk of invasive cancer down the road.

Navratilova partly blames herself for allowing four years to pass between mammogram screenings.

“I let it slip by,” said the nine-time Wimbledon singles champion, who holds more singles (167) and doubles (177) titles than anyone in history. “I was a bad girl.”

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