Breast cancer breakthroughs drive HCPs’ online conversations during ASCO 2025

The results of the latest breast cancer clinical trials emerged as a key driver of conversation among healthcare professionals (HCPs) on social media during ASCO 2025, according to new research.

Over the five-day congress, leading digital insights consultancy Creation Healthcare analysed more than 29,000 HCP social media posts, finding breast cancer to be the most-discussed cancer type - totalling over 3,000 mentions by nearly 600 individual HCPs.

In doing so, breast cancer narrowly beat lung cancer, which at ASCO 2024 had been the most-mentioned cancer type by some distance.

Creation Healthcare’s study found that HCP conversation on X (formerly Twitter) made up approximately 27 per cent of total social media conversation referencing ASCO 2025.

Discussion around the latest breast cancer trial results accounted for one-third of HCP posts referencing the disease, the research found. Of particular focus was AstraZeneca’s SERENA-6 trial, which tested camizestrant as a treatment for certain patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

Online reactions to the trial’s results were mixed, according to the study. US oncologist Lubna Chaudhary, for example, praised the results as “practice-changing”, emphasising the treatment’s progression-free survival data. Elsewhere, however, Italian radio oncologist Icro Meattini adopted a more neutral tone - suggesting that while the treatment has the “potential to become a new treatment paradigm”, clinical utility must still be demonstrated. His post was shared by four HCP peers and drew over 425,000 impressions.

In another post, Dr. Paolo Tarantino reiterated a point made in a presentation by Angie DeMichele, which questioned whether PFS2 data should include post-camizestrant treatment. In the post, shared by four other HCPs, Tarantino warned of potential imbalances in PFS comparisons between patients.

Creation Healthcare’s PINPOINT technology also identified the most influential HCPs among their fellow HCPs - analysing interactions and mentions data to illustrate “peer trust” online.

In SERENA-6 online conversation, it was breast oncologist Stephanie Graff who emerged as the most trusted voice, mentioned 24 times by peers. In one post, Graff said that the trial “creates a lot of questions”, and took a more hesitant approach to labelling the treatment as “practice-changing”. This post was shared by 10 HCPs.

Other breast cancer trials mentioned often by HCPs during ASCO were Pfizer and Arvinas’ VERITAC-C (190 mentions), Gilead’s ASCENT-04 (179), and Roche’s INAVO120 (177).

Lung cancer

The analysis revealed lung cancer to be the second-most discussed cancer type during ASCO 2025, totalling 2,995 mentions by more than 530 HCPs.

As with breast cancer, lung cancer clinical trial data drew particular HCP focus - especially on June 2nd. On this day, Creation Healthcare found that two trials in particular dominated conversation. First, the DELLphi-304 trial, which tested Amgen’s tarlatamab in patients with small-cell lung cancer.

In online conversations, HCPs celebrated tarlatamab as a new second-line standard of care. Thoracic oncologist Misty Shields commended the trial’s execution and results, while Mexico-based oncologist David Heredia wrote that the data “confirms tarlatamab’s superiority over chemo” as a second line treatment.

It was Hidehito Horinouchi, however, an oncologist based in Japan, who proved the top ranked HCP for peer trust in discussions related to the trial. In his posts, Horinouchi shared the results of the trial with peers and the wider public. In total, he was mentioned 126 times by HCP colleagues, and reposted by 22. His most-shared post drew 18 HCP reposts and 114,200 impressions.

The second most-discussed trial on June 2nd - and the one which drove the largest spike in conversation - was IMforte, which assessed lurbinectedin plus atezolizumab as a treatment for patients with ES-SCLC.

Creation Healthcare found that HCPs broadly welcomed the treatment as a first-line maintenance option for patients with the disease. Sanjay Popat, a UK-based oncologist, praised the trial for developing a “new standard of care”, a sentiment echoed by Australian radiation oncologist Shankar Siva.

The HCP judged to have the highest peer trust in conversations around IMforte was Stephen V Liu, a thoracic oncologist based in the United States. In total, Liu was mentioned 27 times, and reposted 17 times by other HCPs discussing ASCO. His most popular post regarding IMforte drew 17 HCP reposts - and 87,160 views.

GI Cancer

Gastrointestinal cancers were the third most-discussed category at ASCO, and attracted the largest number of individual HCP contributors - over 800 in total.

As with breast and lung cancers, Creation Healthcare found that clinical trials again galvanised conversation. The most significant of these was the CHALLENGE trial, which assessed the impact of a structured exercise program on disease-free survival in stage 3 or high-risk stage 2 colon cancer. 

The results were welcomed by significant numbers of HCPs on social media. Turkish oncologist Mustafa Ozdogan wrote that the trials results demonstrated structured exercise is “not just a lifestyle - it's life-saving”. His post was shared by 27 HCP peers. The same sentiment was echoed by US oncologists Ishwaria Subbia and Hegen Kennecke, the latter posting: “When patients ask us “what else can I do?”, we can confidently say - please EXERCISE!".

Excitement was partially tempered by other HCPs, however, who scrutinised the findings and execution of the trial. Electrophysiologist John Mandrola, for example, shared a link to his Substack blog, where he offered a “critical appraisal” of the trial. Elsewhere, oncologist Timothée Olivier shared an article he wrote related to the trial - expressing methodological concerns about censoring patterns.

The top ranked HCP for peer trust discussing the CHALLENGE trial, nonetheless, encouraged prescribing exercise to patients in the same way that one would prescribe adjuvant therapy. This was Amol Akhade, an oncologist based in India. He was mentioned a significant 120 times by peers, and reposted 70 times. 

Rare cancer: polycythemia vera

Beyond the most common cancers, Creation Healthcare also identified a portion of conversation related to polycythemia vera - a rare type of blood cancer. Takeda’s VERIFY, which evaluated rusfertide as a potential treatment option to improve quality of life, drew particular attention. 

Spanish hematologist Dr. Valentin Garcia, a trial co-author, called the findings a “major advance.” US-based Dr. Ruben A. Mesa also praised the data, drawing more than 180,000 impressions and 7 HCP shares with a post celebrating the presenting team’s “amazing job.”

The top-ranked HCP for peer trust discussing VERIFY was Andrew Kuykendall, the US-based hematologist who presented the trial. Kuykendall was mentioned 41 times by peers in the context of VERIFY.

Commenting on the analysis, Daniel Ghinn, CEO of Creation Healthcare, said:

“The future of oncology is increasingly shaped not only by raw clinical data, but through the real-time responses of HCPs who interpret, challenge, and share that data with their peers.

“Diving into the online conversations of HCPs during ASCO 2025 offers pharma a powerful lens into how frontline clinicians engage with emerging evidence - uncovering a fusion of excitement, and often caution, in relation to the latest developments.

“Often, the real impact isn’t visible in the most widely shared posts, but in the peer-to-peer exchanges that build trust. Measuring peer trust - understanding which voices HCPs themselves turn to - is key to identifying those shaping clinical sentiment and influencing real-world practice.”