ThedaCare is the first health care system in Wisconsin to offer a new, minimally invasive procedure to help treat soft tissue cancers.
The treatment, the Aliya® Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) with the INUMI Flex Needle, uses an electrified needle to direct high voltage, high-frequency electrical pulses into cancerous tumors.
The procedure is performed by a bronchoscopy that is, through the use of a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens.
“We use an image-guided technique to insert a needle into the target area and deliver the electrical pulse,” said Dr. Harsha Poola, an Oncology and Hematology Specialist at ThedaCare. “The pulse destabilizes the target by essentially poking holes into the cancerous cells. This tactic helps keep healthy tissue intact while helping to kill the targeted cancer cells.”
ThedaCare performed the first Aliya procedures for patients in April 2025. The organization is using the Aliya System to help treat certain patients with advanced soft tissue cancers such as pulmonary, prostate, urinary and other cancers. Soft tissue cancers are those originating in the body’s tissues – muscles, fat, tendons, nerves, blood vessels and more.
“This new option helps illustrate our continued efforts to evaluate and incorporate innovative technologies that help enhance the quality of medical care we provide the people in and around the communities we serve,” Dr. Poola said. “It is another tool we can use to support identified patients as they undergo treatment for soft tissue cancer.”
Dr. Scott Parrish, a Pulmonary Medicine Specialist with Fox Valley Pulmonary Medicine who partners with ThedaCare, said incorporating such new technologies helps the health system continue to provide patients treatment options that are tailored to them as individuals.
“It is a concerted, ongoing effort to help provide the individualized care our patients need and deserve,” he said.
Dr. Parrish envisions the technology becoming a standard part of care for certain patients needing treatment for advanced soft tissue cancers.
“A long-term goal is to make the Aliya System a regular part of our cancer treatment options,” he said. “This is another tool that our team can access as a treatment option for those who have been diagnosed with cancer.”
Early studies suggest an added benefit to this new treatment option, Dr. Parrish said. He noted that although the data is limited, there is some evidence that this treatment option may help mobilize the body’s immune system to help fight cancer.
“The use of this new, minimally invasive procedure highlights ThedaCare’s dedication to being a leader in medical advancements and offering our patients and their families access to high-quality, innovative health care services,” said Dr. Poola.
If you or a loved one is navigating through a cancer diagnosis and would like to discuss information about the potential use of the Aliya System to treat soft tissue cancers, please connect with your care team. For more information about ThedaCare Cancer Care services, visit ThedaCare.org/services/cancer-and-blood-disorders/.
