Press Release :: Women's Basketball Coaches Association

"For the last 30 years, AstraZeneca has been a leader in the field of breast cancer research and patient education, and today, continues its commitment to provide a more personal and meaningful health care experience for women with breast cancer," said Steve Buckanavage, AstraZeneca. "We are excited to have this opportunity to partner with the WBCA as we focus on important efforts to raise awareness about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment among coaches, players, their families and communities."

"The WBCA is delighted to provide a joint effort with AstraZeneca in educating our membership about breast health," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "We are both very passionate about our own worlds and it was only natural to tie the two together. We are proud to have AstraZeneca on board and look forward to building a lasting relationship."

Along with sponsoring the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon presented by AstraZeneca, they also partner with the WBCA to educate and empower women regarding breast health and the fight against breast cancer. For early breast cancer survivors, AstraZeneca focuses on the importance of continuing the recommended therapy to help reduce the risk of the cancer returning.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women (after lung cancer) and is the most common cancer among women. Astoundingly, one of eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, while more than 70% of those women have no family history of the disease. In 2006, it is estimated that 212,920 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States, and approximately 41,000 will die from breast cancer. Men should also be aware of their risks, as it is estimated that 1,720 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.

"In the WBCA's 25 years of history, this is the most comprehensive association-wide initiative surrounding a health-care cause. The awareness of breast health is about education, communication and reaching out to the community," Bass said. "This is a natural extension of the WBCA's greatest assets, our coaches, and we hope to reach out on-court, to the community and nationwide."

In an effort to include a broad spectrum of breast health awareness, AstraZeneca will present a panel at the 2006 WBCA National Convention, held in Boston, Mass. This panel will involve such things as insight from doctors, breast cancer statistics and stories from breast cancer survivors.

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $23.95 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $10.77 billion healthcare business with more than 12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.

For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: www.astrazeneca-us.com.

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.