Philip R. Bianco
Philip Robert Bianco, 65, of Bradenton, Florida died Tuesday, September 2 at home in East Boothbay.He was born in North Adams, Massachusetts on March 21, 1943, the son of Dr. Harvey and Helen Naughton Bianco.He is survived by his wife, Patricia Nichols Bianco of Bradenton, Florida; daughter, Jessica Bianco of South Boston, Massachusetts, and daughter Megan Bianco and grandson, Nicholas Maney of Vernon, Connecticut; brother, John Bianco of Grosse Point Park, Michigan and, Buddy, the beloved German Shepard dog.

Donations may be made to the Lung Cancer Alliance at http://www.lungcanceralliance.org/ or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at http://www.dana-farber.org/

‘We’ve lost an icon’

A Times Record archived photo of Stoney Dionne leading a bike run for kids with cancer.

              Friends, family reflect on life of          John‘Stoney’Dionne

By Seth Koenig and Darcie Moore, Times Record Staff

TOPSHAM — John H. “Stoney” Dionne, whose annual charity motorcycle rides raised thousands for children fighting cancer, was called an “icon” and a “king among men” this morning by those who knew him.

Dionne, 56, died Saturday at Mid Coast Hospital after a battle with cancer.

“From the time he was a little boy in school, if there was an underdog, John was at their side,” recalled Will Dionne, Stoney’s father, this morning. “He had a soft spot for all the people, not just the little cancer patients.”

In 1995, as president of Local S6 of the Machinists union, Dionne met President Bill Clinton to tout the union’s uniquely cooperative relationship with Bath Iron Works. But through his life outside the shipyard, he met and influenced thousands of others.                                                                                                                                                                                    John H. “Stoney” Dionne, center, shakes hands with then-President Bill Clinton during a 1995 visit to Bath Iron Works. Dionne, a former president himself — of Local S6 of the Machinists union — was given a ring from the commander in chief. Dionne, 56, a tireless advocate and fundraiser for children’s cancer programs, died on Saturday.

Courtesy of the Dionne family

“He’s probably one of the most popular motorcyclists in the state of Maine, if not the East Coast,” said Steve Marois, producer of the television show, “Ridin’ Steel,” which Dionne co-hosted. “For 29 years, he’s been organizing Stoney’s Lobster Runs. ... He was probably the epitome of the American biker. He represented freedom. So many people looked up to him. We’ve lost an icon. That’s what we’ve lost. ”

With a bushy beard and a wardrobe filled with black leather and flame designs, Dionne’s friends and relatives described him as a case where the looks were deceiving.

“He looked one way and he acted another way,” said Lisa White, who met Dionne nine years ago through her boyfriend, Gerard “Grizz” Galipeau. “He looked like a biker and sang, ‘Born to be Wild,’ but he was mild. He had this soft-spoken calmness that touched your heart and a great sense of humor.                                                
“When people talk about good people in their lives, he’ll always be mentioned,” she continued. “He wasn’t just a good man, he was a king among men.”

During the 29-year history of the annual Stoney’s Lobster Run, Dionne helped raise thousands for various charity programs, in recent years programs focused on children’s cancer.

“Stoney was one of the biggest, most kind-hearted man I knew,” Galipeau said this morning “He wouldn’t put a bad eye to anyone. We’re all going to miss him. He’s just done so much for so many people, especially the children fighting cancer. And now he’s died of cancer. It really blows your mind.”

Stoney’s brother, Dick Dionne, said his brother always loved children.

“My brother wouldn’t hurt a fly,” he said. “He gave that impression. He was a biker — a ‘tough guy.’ But deep down inside, he was such a soft person.”

Dick Dionne said he could recall numerous stories about his brother to illustrate the great guy he was, “all the way through.” Like the time he brought a bag of collectible toy Beanie Babies to a children’s hospital.

Dick Dionne said Stoney’s family just learned of the Beanie Babies, and heard from a cancer survivor who was inspired by that act of selflessness.

“She said he changed her mind that day and she was going to fight (the cancer),” Dick Dionne recalled.

So it was a special gift that Dick Dionne said he and his brother probably would not have otherwise experienced, when he took his brother to the Maine Children’s Cancer Center in Scarborough to be mapped out for radiation a few weeks ago, and Stoney got to meet some of the kids there. The two got a tour of the whole facility, and it was a special day for both, Dick Dionne said. They were treated like celebrities, but were just there for the children, he said.

Will Dionne shared that, “Until my son got sick three months ago, I really didn’t know any of the things he was doing. I knew Stoney’s Lobster Run would raise some funds for cancer. ... People have been coming out of the woodwork telling us of the things that he’s done, and it was amazing to both his mother and me.”

“We were very proud of the fact that he’d done all of those things, be we hated to find out in those circumstances,” he continued.

Stoney Dionne was also remembered as a musician — who used to play at weddings and lounges — and as an artist. Dionne painted signs and operated “Stone Man Signs” in West Bath.

“He painted quite a few pictures that were beautiful,” said Will Dionne. “And he was very meticulous, because if he started a painting and he made a booboo, he scrapped it.”

Nelson Barter, Harpswell Neck fire chief, said that Stoney had also served for a few years with the fire department as a firefighter, in the 1980s or early 1990s. Barter said he was one of the few who didn’t know Stoney as a biker. As a firefighter, “He was always there. He was a guy who, if something was going on, he was one of the guys who was going to show up and he was always willing to do whatever needed to be done.”

Dick Dionne said this morning that the family will continue to hold Stoney’s Lobster Run, and the ride will still be held to help children. Though other memorial runs may begin, Dick said, the Lobster Run will not become a memorial to his brother, because he wouldn’t have wanted that.

“I’ll tell you, it’s not easy,” he said of losing his brother. “But he’s going out in style, we’re making sure of that.

“I know he’d say, ‘Don’t cry for me’ — he’d want us to celebrate, to go out in style,” Dick continued. “He’s happy now. He’s in Heaven now, with all those children who didn’t make it. And he has so many friends from all walks of life, and I don’t care if they were hard-core bikers. He had friends from all walks of life. Even the doctors in the hospital, they were so wonderful to us. They really cared. They knew they were dealing with a special person. They all did all they could, as did everybody. They did all they could to help. ... I don’t want people to be sad, but more or less lucky to have known him. Remember him, always remember him, and don’t ever forget him.”     news@timesrecord.com

Thank you to everyone who purchased a patch already.  Together we have donated over 3 thousand dollars to our friend's favorite charity, Maine Children's Cancer Program.   We have received 500 more stoney patches and again we will give all proceeds to help children fighting cancer and their families!

According to the 2006 American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures, an estimated 1,399,790 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer and 564,830 people will die from some form of this disease annually. Cancer varies by climate and region. In the U.S., cancer is diagnosed more often in the Northeast and areas of the South. Cancer is more common in men than in women. One in every two men and one in every three women will be diagnosed with cancer in his or her lifetime. Cancer is more common with increasing age.

Half of all men and one-third of all women in our country will develop cancer in their lifetimes. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States.

The state of Maine has the highest cancer rate in the nation. According to the US Cancer Statistics report published in 2005, Maine had a rate of 510.3 cases of invasive cancer per 100,000 people - a rate that is much higher than the national average of 459.9 per every 100,000. The Maine Cancer Consortium predicts that over 7,500 Mainers will be diagnosed with cancer in the next year. Over 3,000 Mainers will die from cancer. Meanwhile, Maine's population is aging, and because the risk of having cancer increases as you get older, the number of cancer cases in our state will probably double by 2050.

For the first time in history, cancer has become the leading cause of death in Maine. One in every four deaths are due to cancer. There is good news, though. We can reduce cancer

Lung Cancer: Risk Factors, Prevention & Early Detection

Lung Cancer in the U.S.

According to the 2006 American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures, an estimated 174,470 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 162,460 people will die from this disease annually. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer among both women and men, second to breast and prostate cancer respectively. It accounts for 12.5% of all new cancer cases. Because of its low survival rate, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, accounting for 29% of the total. In the late 1980's, lung cancer deaths for U.S. men stopped rising and have been slowly falling since the early 1990's. However, for women, lung cancer deaths continued to rise in the 1990's and are just beginning to plateau.

Risk Fac

Radon Fact Sheet

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Surgeon General's Office have estimated that as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused each year by radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon-induced lung cancer costs the United States over $2 billion dollars per year in both direct and indirect health care costs. (Based on National Cancer Institute statistics of 14,400 annual radon lung cancer deaths - Oster, Colditz & Kelley, 1984)

According to the US EPA, nearly 1 in 3 homes checked in seven states and on three Indian lands had screening levels over 4 pCi/L, the EPA's recommended action level for radon exposure.

The alpha radiation emitted by radon is the same alpha radiation emitted by other alpha generating radiation sources such as plutonium.

A family whose home has radon levels of 4 pCi/l is exposed to approximately 35 times as much radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow if that family was standing next to the fence of a radioactive waste site. (25 mrem limit, 800 mrem exposure)

An elementary school student that spends 8 hours per day and 180 days per year in a classroom with 4 pCi/l of radon will receive nearly 10 times as much radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows at the edge of a nuclear power plant.(25 mrem limit, 200 mrem exposure)

Most U.S. EPA lifetime safety standards for carcinogens are established based on a 1 in 100,000 risk of death. Most scientists agree that the risk of death for radon at 4 pCi/l is approximately 1 in 100. At the 4 pCi/l EPA action guideline level, radon carries approximately 1000 times the risk of death as any other EPA carcinogen. It is important to note that the action level is not a safe level, as there are no "safe" levels of radon gas.

What is radon?

A layman's description

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, you're at high risk for developing lung cancer. Some scientific studies of radon exposure indicate that children may be more sensitive to radon. This may be due to their higher respiration rate and their rapidly dividing cells, which may be more vulnerable to radiation damage.

• Smoking is currently estimated to cause 85-90% of all lung cancer cases. The more you smoke the more likely you are to get lung cancer.
• The risk of dying from lung cancer is 22 times higher among male smokers and 12 times higher among female smokers than among people who have never smoked.
• Cigar and pipe smoking increase the risk of lung cancer.
• Breathing second-hand smoke also contributes to lung cancer risk for non-smokers.
• Two well-know causes of work-related lung cancer are radon and asbestos.
• People may also be exposed to enough radon at home to increase their chance of developing lung cancer, especially if they smoke.
• People with low intakes of fruits and vegetables have a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Prevention of Lung Cancer

• The most effective prevention for lung cancer is to never smoke.
• Even if you have already smoked, quitting now can make a difference. Ten years after quitting, cigarette smokers cut their chances of getting lung cancer in half.
• Homes should be tested for radon.

Early Detection of Lung Cancer

• There are no good screening tests to detect lung cancer early.
• Only 18% of lung cancers are found at the earliest stage, and even for these people, only half will be alive five years later.
• Cases detected at the distant stage (when disease has spread to another part of the body) have only a 2% chance of living five more years.
• The best way to reduce the chance of dying of lung cancer is to not smoke tobacco.

Radon in Maine Homes

• Approximately 1/3 of Maine homes have radon concentrations above the U.S. EPA's action level of 4 picocuries per liter of air. In Southern Maine, approximately 1/2 of the homes have high radon levels.
• All Maine homes should be tested for radon.
• For additional information about testing for radon in your home call the Maine CDC, Radiation Control Program at (800) 232-0842.

For information on lung cancer statistics in Maine, please see MCR's Annual Reports.

Female Breast Cancer: Risk Factors, Prevention & Early Detection

Breast Cancer in the U.S.

Breast cancer rates in the United States are among the highest in the world. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, accounting for 32% of all cancer in women. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths (after lung cancer) among U.S. women. According to the 2006 American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures, an estimated 212,920 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,970 people will die from this disease annually. The incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States increased 34 percent from 1975 to 1999 and has recently started to decrease. The mortality rate has declined since 1989. Although early detection (using mammograms) accounts for some of this increase in incidence, other factors play a role. From 1996-2002, 90.1% of White females and 77.3% of African American females survived for at least five years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

• One of the strongest risk factors is older age.
• Some genetic factors are believed to play a role in a small number of breast cancers, such as having a close female relative (mother, sister, daughter) with breast cancer or inheritance of the breast cancer gene BRCA1 or BRCA2.
• Other factors related to a woman's medical history may increase risk, including:
  • First full-term pregnancy after age 30, or never having borne a child.
  • Being overweight (mainly after menopause).
  • A history of breast, ovarian, or endometrial cancer.
  • A typical hyperplasia or a high degree of dense breast tissue.
  • Long term use of high doses of estrogen (such as oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy).
• Some environmental exposures may contribute to breast cancer risk, such as high doses of radiation in infancy or from puberty through the childbearing years or more than two drinks of alcohol a day.

Prevention of Breast Cancer

Most women with breast cancer do not have any known risk factors besides older age. However, some studies suggest that there are fewer cases of breast cancer among groups of women who do the following:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Avoid prolonged use of estrogen
• Do not drink excess amounts of alcohol

Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Why is early detection important?

• Cases detected early (local disease) have about a 98% chance of living for at least five more years.
• Cases detected at the distant stage (when disease has spread to another part of the body) have only a 26% chance of living for five more years.
  

How to Improve your Chances of Detecting Breast Cancer Early

• Have a health care provider examine your breasts every year.
• Learn from your provider how to examine your own breasts and do it every month.
• Get your first screening mammogram when you turn 40 and earlier if your provider advises because of other risks factors, such as:
  • a close female relative with breast cancer
  • a biopsy with "atypical hyperplasia"
  • carrying the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2
• Get a screening mammogram every 1-2 years between 40 and 49 years of age and every year after age 50.