Throughout the past four decades, Lynn Wassmann has endured a series of diagnoses and setbacks most people would find unfathomable. Her first cancer diagnosis came in her 20s. Many more would follow. Through it all, Lynn has remained positive and resolute.
Thanks to advancement and investment in technology and research, Lynn has new hope. In December 2025, she had a minimally invasive procedure to treat lung cancer using the Aliya Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) with the INUMI Flex Needle.
In April 2025, ThedaCare became the first healthcare system in Wisconsin to use Aliya PEF. It’s used to help treat certain patients with advanced soft-tissue cancers such as lung, prostate and urinary.
For Lynn, the results have been remarkable. The proof was in the first PET scan she received following the procedure.
“When we saw the pictures of the results … our jaws hit the ground,” Lynn says. “It was amazing.”
Lynn, 68 and a Menasha resident, says she’s a realist and knows, given her history, cancer will likely come calling again. But she’s grateful to have more time.
“I want to enjoy every minute that is given to me,” she says. “There’s just so much beauty out there.”
One After Another
At just 27 years old, Lynn and her husband, Tony, were trying to have their first child. During that time, she learned she had cervical and uterine cancer. Lynn would need to have a hysterectomy and wouldn’t be able to have children.
“I just kind of sat there stunned, went outside, cried for 10 minutes in my car, took a deep breath and said, ‘OK, let’s move on. Let’s deal with it,’” Lynn recalls.
It’s an attitude that would carry her through many more diagnoses to follow. Throughout the years, Lynn has experienced breast cancer, melanoma, two bouts of leukemia and three instances of lung cancer.
Though Lynn has a history of cancer in her family, she attributes a lot of her susceptibility to the years she spent working in the landscaping industry and as a heavy smoker. Lynn says she loved her career, but it exposed her to some risks.
“When I started in the industry, there really wasn’t much personal protective equipment. You’re out there spraying some of the nastiest chemicals without any proper PPE,” she says. “One day I came home from work, and I started coughing into a rag. I realized that the rag smelled like the chemicals I was spraying that day.”
Eventually, Lynn quit smoking and became more aware of the risks of the chemicals she’d encountered through her work. By then, though, she says she realized there was no undoing the damage.
“I’ve known a long time, I was going to have issues with cancer,” she says.
Positivity and Perseverance
Through her many bouts with cancer, Lynn has leaned on the support of her family, friends and care teams. Her sister, Judy, accompanies her to appointments and serves as a second set of ears. Her twin brother, Mark, immediately raised his hand to become a bone marrow donor should Lynn need one when she had leukemia — she didn’t, but the offer meant the world to her.
On the days Lynn feels too sick to do anything, Tony steps up to take care of all the household needs, from cooking to cleaning to laundry. Lynn’s in-laws check in on her all the time.
“They can’t fight it for you, but it’s just nice knowing they care,” Lynn says of her support circle.
That circle also includes Lynn’s pulmonologist, Scott Parrish, MD, and her entire team at ThedaCare Cancer Care, which includes Oncologist Joyce Philip, MD, and Radiation Oncologist Joseph Bovi, MD.
“They do so much for us. The valet, the receptionist, the volunteers, the nurses, the doctors,” Lynn says.
As for her positive attitude, she credits her parents.
“I remember Mom and Dad both telling me … just enjoy life,” Lynn says. “Don’t worry about the little stuff. That’ll take care of itself.”
That mindset is meaningful, Dr. Philip says. “When we sit across patients who have such … a thrive for life, it motivates us. How can we get her to get back to that place where she can be as active as she wants to be and live life?”
And that’s just what the team hoped to help Lynn realize with the Aliya PEF procedure.
Newfound Hope
When Drs. Parrish and Philip first discussed the procedure with Lynn, she didn’t know what to anticipate. She did know she had little to lose.
“It’s unique from the perspective that it’s a non-thermal based ablation technique,” Dr. Philip says, describing the procedure. “It’s not using any extreme temperatures like heat or cold or radiation technology. This is using a high-voltage, electric-current-type therapy and going straight to the tumor. And that electric current then leads to cell death.”
Lynn was astounded with how easy the procedure was, especially considering the surgeries and chemotherapy she’s endured throughout the years.
“I was scared going in. I didn’t know what to expect. It was a cakewalk,” Lynn says. “I was sitting at home thinking, ‘Good lord. I could go for a 5-mile walk right now.’”
Lynn, an avid walker, didn’t lace up her walking shoes just then, but she would soon. The real joy came when Lynn, accompanied by her sister, went to the PET scan appointment and learned of the success of the Aliya PEF procedure.
“We walked out smiling and cheering,” Lynn says. “We went out to lunch after that to celebrate.”
More Life to Live
Today, Lynn tries not to dwell on what might come next for her health. Instead, she’s focused on living her life. That includes building back up to long walks, exploring her local nature conservancy, nurturing her beloved garden and connecting with a group of aurora borealis hunters.
“I want to see the northern lights. I want to go to Jazz Fest and Mackinac Island,” Lynn says of her wishes for the near-term future.
Amidst planning adventures, Lynn also seeks to spread joy. That includes hiding tiny glass figurines within ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center when she visits for treatments. Finding them has become a game for team members, who seek, trade and swap the figures.
As Lynn reflects on how she got here, she says feels grateful for innovation that’s helped give her the gift of time — and the hope it could offer others.
“What they learn from me is going to help someone in the future,” she says. “I don’t think anybody could ask for anything better to come out of their lives than to have something that you go through or that you do that ends up bettering someone else’s life in the future.”
Discover the resources, treatments and care teams helping people live fully during and after cancer treatment. Learn more about ThedaCare Cancer Care.
