Hall-Perrine Cancer Center

11/03/2025

11/03/2025

Dr. Wook Lee, Radiation Oncologist with Hall-Perrine Cancer Center breaks down how radiation therapy works in treating breast cancer and highlights Mercy’s new TrueBeam HyperSight radiation therapy.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween! Thanks to all of you that joined us for HPCC's Trunk or Treat party. Dr. Slycord and family had a great time celebrating with you! Enjoy a safe night of trick or treating!

10/30/2025

This week several Hall-Perrine Cancer Center Medical Oncology staff were recognized for their clinical excellence during Mercy’s Clinical Ladder and REAch Celebration of Excellence awards dinner.

Those being honored included (left to right) Steph - Clinical Ladder IV, Heather (Clinic Nurse Manager, Medical Oncology), Koley - REAch II, Jenae – Clinical Ladder III, Erin – REAch I, Becca – REAch committee member, and Sam – Clinical Ladder III.

Congratulations and thank you for your continued commitment to providing clinical excellence to our patients!

10/29/2025

Vincent Reid, MD, FACS, FSSO explains how Hall-Perrine Cancer Center's Breast Multidisciplinary Clinic provides patients with a different approach to treating breast cancer.

10/27/2025

When should you get screened for breast cancer? Dr. Dolan shares how they typical screening age is 40, but can sometimes be sooner based on your individual lifetime risk. Learn more at www.mercycare.org/breast.

10/24/2025

Is a traditional mammogram always the best option to screen for breast cancer? Dr. Robert Dolan shares the different imaging technologies Mercy Medical Center’s Women’s Center offers—including our new contrast-enhanced mammogram. Learn more at www.mercy care.org/breast.

10/22/2025

Breast cancer survivor Lisa Larson knew since she has extremely dense breast tissue, it's harder to find possible cancer with a mammogram alone. So Lisa scheduled a breast MRI with Mercy's Women's Center, which uses contrast to light up anything suspicious for her annual screening. Her results indicated cancer and was confirmed with an ultrasound and a biopsy. After a lumpectomy and 21 rounds of radiation, Lisa is cancer free! Her oncologist shared that it would probably have been two to three years before her tumor would’ve shown up on a mammogram.

To learn more about breast MRI’s and other imaging technologies, visit www.mercycare.org/breast

10/17/2025

10/17/2025

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10/16/2025

Mercy is pleased to announce the introduction of contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), a new breast imaging technology that enhances diagnostic accuracy and improves early detection of breast cancer, especially in women with dense breast tissue.

Mercy is currently the only hospital in Cedar Rapids offering this advanced imaging technique, which combines traditional mammography with a special contrast dye to highlight abnormalities in breast tissue. The result is clearer, more detailed images that help radiologists detect breast cancer earlier and with greater confidence.

“Contrast-enhanced mammography helps radiologists detect breast lesions, particularly in women with dense breasts, which could help diagnose breast cancer earlier,” said Stephanie Harris, director of Mercy Women’s Center. “This technology allows us to provide more comprehensive care to the women in our community, and we’re excited to begin offering it to patients. Already in its first week of use, CEM helped us identify a cancer diagnosis earlier than we might have otherwise – an outcome that underscores the value of this technology.”

The CEM procedure involves a quick IV injection of contrast dye, followed by a mammogram. Patients typically wait about two minutes after the injection before images are taken. It’s a process that closely resembles a standard mammogram and takes a total of about 30 minutes. For patients 60 years of age or older, or those with certain medical conditions – such as diabetes or high blood pressure – a simple blood test is required beforehand to ensure safe administration of the contrast.

Learn more at www.mercycare.org/cem.