Breast Cancer Meets Its Match

More than 11,000 spectators attended the Schick Xtreme III Tennis Challenge at Seattle’s Key Arena on Oct. 7, 2001. The event, which included a player party and silent auction, raised more than $1.4 million for research, patient treatment programs and equipment purchases at UW Medical Center and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Participating professional tennis players included Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Martina Navratilova, and Jonathan Stark. Business leaders Bill Gates, chair and chief software architect of Microsoft, and Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com, also suited up to play. During the Tennis Challenge, Team Agassi comprised of Andre, Gates, Navratilova and Stark played Team Sampras that included Sampras, Bezos, and Courier. Team Agassi won three of four matches.

Tami Agassi, sister of Andre and a breast cancer survivor, was the Honorary Chair of the Tennis Challenge. She and Stark were key in the yearlong organization of the event. They dedicated their efforts to their mothers, both of whom are also breast cancer survivors.

Before the tennis matches, physicians and other health-care providers attended a continuing medical education course, “Breast Cancer Summit 2001.” Presenters included researchers and clinical experts from the UW Breast Cancer Program, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, as well as guest faculty from other major cancer centers across the nation. Courses covered genetic testing, effects of hormone management on breast cancer incidence, potential impact of new biologic therapies, new diagnostic and treatment techniques, premalignant lesions, and less aggressive modalities effective for certain cases.