New Cancer Stamp Issued by United States

[CANCER RESEARCH 38. 2640-2641, August 1978] 0008-5472/78/0038-OOOOS02.00 New Cancer Stamp Issued by United States

Robert A. Kyle

Section of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55901

On May 18 the United States issued a commemorative commemorate the effort to conquer cancer. During this postage stamp in Washington, D.C., to honor Dr. George time 58 countries have issued regular, commemorative, Nicolas Papanicolaou for the development of the Pap test semipostal, or postal tax stamps to publicize and to raise in the diagnosis of cancer of the cervix (Fig. 1). In the past money for the fight against cancer. Dr. Papanicolaou has received the American Cancer Soci Commemorative stamps, as their name indicates, pay ety Award for "one of the greatest contributions of the tribute to or honor a particular person or event. In contrast century, to the health of women," as well as the Century to regular issue stamps, which remain on sale for a number Award of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, the of years, commemorative stamps represent a much smaller Borden Award of the Association of American Medical printing and remain on sale for shorter periods (about two Colleges, the Amory Award of the American Association of years in the United States). Arts and Sciences, the Lasker Award of the American Public The typical semipostal stamp displays a pair of values. Health Association, the Honor Medal of the American Can The figure on the left indicates the regular postage value of cer Society, the Passano Foundation Award, and the Mod the stamp, and the figure on the right indicates a surcharge ern Medicine and Berkner Awards. He was given the Cross that is being collected in aid of some special activity, of the Grand Commander of the Royal Order of the Phoenix usually a charity. Antituberculosis facilities, flood victims, by the King of Greece in 1953 and the Royal Order of wounded soldiers, orphanages, and child health projects George I by the Greek government in 1957. have all received support from the sale of such stamps. The first National Cytology Congress, held in 1948, hailed Postal tax stamps are similar to semipostal stamps, except this new diagnostic tool for carcinoma of the cervix; and at that their use becomes mandatory by law during certain the First International Cytology Conference in Brussels in specified times. The local government states that every item 1957, Papanicolaou was made the Honorary President of of first-class mail deposited for handling during a certain the International Academy of Gynaecological Cytology, period (days or weeks) must carry one of the postal tax founded at that meeting. Few persons have seen such stamps in addition to the regular postage fee. The Domini worldwide acceptance of their work. can Republic has issued a series of such stamps from 1953 He retired as Director of the Papanicolaou Research to the present in support of the Dominican League Against Laboratory at Cornell University Medical College, New York Cancer. City, in 1961, and went to Miami, where he joined the Cancer Institute that now bears his name. Papanicolaou died on Cancer Stamps Issued by Other Countries February 19, 1962, of a myocardial infarction in Miami only three months afterward. He has been honored on two Sweden was the first country to issue a cancer stamp in stamps, one issued by Greece in 1973 (Scott No. 1098 and 1928 as part of a series of five to commemorate the 70th 1099) (Fig. 2) and the other by the United States (Fig. 1). birthday of King Gustav V. More than 3 million stamps were The Papanicolaou Institute in Miami is now headed by Dr. sold, and the sale supplied more than $42,000 for cancer Julius Schultz who is directing a program in basic biology control. and biochemistry of cancer. Denmark, on August 1, 1929, issued three different semi- The stamp honoring Papanicolaou is the second cancer postal stamps featuring the Danish Crown and the Staff of stamp issued by the United States. On April 1, 1965, a Aesculapius, and 90,000 Danish kroner (approximately commemorative stamp was issued to publicize the "Cru $25,000) were raised for the National Cancer Research Fund sade Against Cancer" and to stress the importance of early of the Danish Cancer Committee. diagnosis (Fig. 3). The total printing involved 115,000,000 On September 1,1938, France issued a semipostal stamp stamps, and more than 60 leaders in government including to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the discovery of President Lyndon B. Johnson, Postmaster General John A. radium by Pierre and Marie Curie. Twenty-one countries Gronouski, and Lady Bird Johnson, who served as Honor that were former French colonies or territories joined with ary Chairman of the Cancer Crusade for the American France in 1938 to issue similar semipostal stamps. In Cancer Society, attended the First Day ceremony. The bill addition Cuba and Monaco issued stamps depicting the authorizing it was cosponsored by 15 senators, including Curies in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Neuberger, Javits, Young, Holland, Hill, Magnuson, Ribi- discovery of radium. The surtaxes from all of these stamps coff, and Symington. Similar companion bills were intro were donated to the International Union for the Control of duced in the House of Representatives. April 1965 was Cancer. Afghanistan also issued two postal tax stamps to designated as Cancer Control Month. honor the Curies. Also in 1938, Ecuador issued a postal tax stamp for the Types of Stamps control of cancer. This stamp, originally issued on August 1, 1930, to promote tobacco, ironically, was overprinted Since 1928, 167 postage stamps have been issued to with "The Campaign Against Cancer." Of course, this oc-

2640 CANCER RESEARCH VOL. 38

Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on October 2, 2021. © 1978 American Association for Cancer Research. New Cancer Stamp curred before the relationship between smoking and cancer Nations issued two commemorative stamps to publicize the was recognized. fight against cancer. Chile also printed two stamps to In 1939, Danzig issued a regular postage stamp to draw commemorate the same Congress. attention to the fight against cancer, honoring Wilhelm Roentgen, developer of X-rays. In 1946 France issued a The Crab and Cancer semipostal stamp to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of radioactivity by Henry Becquerel. To the ancient peoples, a resemblance was apparent Panama leads in the number of cancer stamps, with 30 between superficial, growing malignant tumors and the different postal tax stamps issued from 1939 to 1949 to claws of the slow-moving crab. Hippocrates or one of his raise money for the control of cancer. Twenty-two of these students left the first recorded observation of this associa tion using the Greek work karkinos, meaning "crab." The stamps featured portraits of the Curies. Five Panamanian medical term for cancer is "carcinoma," which embodies stamps were regular issue stamps, but in 1947 they were surcharged with the overprint "Cancer B/0.01 1947" and this connection in its literal meaning "crab-like mass." The Roman physician Galen said, "As the crab's feet extend were used as postal tax stamps for the control of cancer. Two other cancer stamps were issued for air mail. One from all parts of its body, so in this disease do the veins depicted the "Four Freedoms," while the other showed distend, forming the same figure." Paul of Aegina added, portraits of Juan D. Arosemena, President of Mexico, greet "Some say it is called cancer because it clings to any parts upon which it seizes, in the obstinate manner of the crab." ing Franklin D. Roosevelt. On July 16,1962, Russia issued a stamp to commemorate Many stamps issued for the fight against cancer use the the Eighth International Cancer Congress held in Moscow. crab as a symbol. Often the crab is shown being destroyed At this meeting the Executive Committee unanimously by a bolt of lightning (Mauritania, 1965; Mali, 1966), an adopted a resolution calling on every nation to honor the atomic symbol (Niger, 1966; Pakistan, 1967). a radiation X- 80th birthday of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt in 1964 by issuing ray unit (Japan, 1966; Turkey, 1972). a spear (Central special "Stamp Out Cancer" postage stamps. Malaysia also African Republic, 1968), a sharp instrument (Afghanistan, produced a set of three cancer stamps honoring Mrs. 1970; The Netherlands, 1974), or a dagger (Brazil, 1948) or Roosevelt in 1964. being crushed by a human hand (Niger, 1965). The Ninth International Cancer Congress, held in Tokyo The diagnosis of cancer is emphasized by the picture of a from October 23 to 29, 1966, was commemorated by the crab under the light of a microscope (set of five semipostals issuance of an air mail stamp from the Congo People's by The Netherlands in 1955 and the Congo People's Republic Republic, Niger, and Mali. A set of two semipostal stamps in 1966). The stylized crab, executed by Alexander Calder, was issued in Japan, one in Cuba, and one in Iran. has been depicted on semipostal and commemorative The Tenth International Cancer Congress was held in stamps to publicize the fight against cancer (Philippines, Houston, Texas, from May 22 to 29, 1970, and the United 1970; Costa Rica, 1970; and The Netherlands, 1969).

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Fig. 1 (left). Commemorative stamp issued by the United States in honor of Dr. Papanicolaou. Fig. 2 (center). Stamp issued by Greece in honor of Dr. Papanicolaou. Fig. 3 (right). First commemorative stamp issued by the United States to publicize the effort to conquer cancer.

AUGUST 1978 2641

Robert A. Kyle

Cancer Res 1978;38:2640-2641.

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