The race to find a cure for breast cancer is everyone's concern. There are few of us who have not been touched, either directly, or indirectly through our loved ones, by the fears, the sorrows, and the challenges one encounters with breast cancer.

Many unanswered questions face doctors and scientists about the cause, the most effective treatment, and ways to prevent breast cancer The recent progress in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer gives hope. However, more work needs to be done and funds for breast cancer research are essential to making progress against the disease. Clearly, this is a battle for us all and we are all committed to join in the fight.

In an effort to raise public awareness and give energy to the pressing fight to find the cure, the United States Postal Service is releasing the nation's first semipostal stamp. This striking, stylized stamp image draws on Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, a mythological icon of strength and independence who overcomes the perils of the world. The stamp, designed by Ethel Kessler, brings a personal understanding of the complex and sensitive nature surrounding breast cancer's prevention and cure. Her collaboration with Whitney Sherman of Baltimore, Maryland, yielded the dramatic original illustration and the stamp's bold, direct call for action.

With the sale of every breast cancer awareness semipostal stamp, we are directly supporting the fight to find a cure. Net proceeds from the amount over the First-Class postage rate are directly committed to funding breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Program of the Department of Defense.
Artwork ©US Postal Service

This is the text from the program for the First Day of Issue Ceremony, Washington DC, July 29, 1998.