Banner – University Medical Center Tucson has become the first medical institution in Arizona to implement Aliya Pulsed Electric Field therapy, a minimally invasive cancer treatment. This innovative technology targets and disrupts cancerous tissue without requiring surgical procedures.
Dr. Billie Bixby, an interventional pulmonologist at the center, led the pioneering effort in the state by delivering this treatment endoscopically. Dr. Bixby, along with Dr. Madha Chopra, Dr. James Knepler, and Dr. Darius Filsoof, is working to make this therapy more accessible for patients whose tumors cannot be easily treated with traditional methods.
“This technique is unlike anything we’ve seen,” stated Dr. Bixby. “It uses pulsed electric fields to disrupt cancer cells while preserving healthy tissue, and early clinical studies suggest it may even help activate the body’s immune response. We are proud to be among the first hospitals to offer this technology.”
One of the early beneficiaries of this treatment is 72-year-old Tucson resident Barry Lebow. He had been under observation for lung abnormalities discovered during CT scans following pneumonia in 2021. Although he was clear of cancer for a period, a 2024 scan revealed its reoccurrence. Dr. Chopra recommended the new therapy due to the adverse effects of standard treatments Lebow experienced.
The procedure, which uses an electrified needle to deliver electrical pulses directly to the tumor, was combined with additional chemotherapy. His latest scan in January 2025 showed no tumor presence.
“If I was younger, I would’ve been doing backflips,” said Lebow. “What better news could a cancer patient possibly get?”
Lebow has since returned to his daily activities without significant treatment side effects. He expressed gratitude for the ease of his treatment process compared to others.
“I feel blessed that I came through this fairly easily,” Lebow noted. “I saw a lot of patients who looked like the treatment was harder on them than the disease.”
Dr. Chopra shared optimism for the treatment’s future potential.
“It gives us another tool in the fight against advanced cancer,” he commented. “I am confident that it has a positive impact for our patients,” he said.
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and Banner – University Medical Center South are integral to Banner – University Medicine, affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. Banner Health, to which these institutions belong, operates as one of the largest non-profit health systems across six states.
