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A Year in Oncology: How healthcare professionals’ online conversations shaped cancer treatment in 2025

08.12.2025 | Insight

A Year in Oncology: How healthcare professionals’ online conversations shaped cancer treatment in 2025

Introduction

Oncology congress events play a significant part in online conversations among healthcare professionals (HCPs) about new science in cancer treatment and detection, often predicting regulatory decisions that follow, according to our latest research.

Using CREATION Pinpoint™, we analysed 702,690 posts from 54,430 verified healthcare professionals (HCPs) between October 2024 and October 2025. Across this 12‑month period, the oncology conversation followed a clear seasonal rhythm shaped by major congress cycles, regulatory decisions, practice‑changing data and cross‑cancer scientific themes. 

Four cancer types accounted for the bulk of oncology discussion: Breast Cancer (66,360 HCP mentions), Lung Cancer (57,760), Prostate Cancer (38,960) and Blood Cancer (37,930). Conversation around key therapies closely mirrored this focus, with pembrolizumab (4,910 mentions), T‑DXd (3,750), durvalumab (3,650) and nivolumab (3,570) among the most discussed medicines. Manufacturer visibility remained concentrated, with Pfizer (1,160 mentions), Johnson & Johnson (1,120) and AstraZeneca (880) consistently prominent across all seasons.

Winter 2025 (Oct 2024–Mar 2025)

Winter marked the start of a highly evidence-focused cycle, with ~210,000 HCP posts reflecting the dual influence of late‑2024 congress data announcements and early‑2025 regulatory decisions. Conversation was driven by two overarching themes: the rapid evolution of endocrine‑based and HER2‑targeted strategies in breast cancer, and renewed scrutiny of sequencing choices in lung cancer.

Breast cancer dominated the narrative (~30,000+ HCP mentions), fuelled by treatment algorithm updates and divergent data signals across subtypes. Posts from Dr Ilana Schlam and Dr Elisa Agostinetto shaped much of this discussion, highlighting how adjuvant ribociclib, inavolisib and updated HR+ pathways were moving rapidly into clinical decision‑making. 

The season also saw strong enthusiasm for the PATINA trial following Dr Erika Hamilton’s commentary, which positioned extended CDK4/6 inhibition benefit in HER2+ MBC as a key development. Conversely, the reaction to Dr Paolo Tarantino’s post on adjuvant nivo/ipi in TNBC demonstrated how quickly HCP sentiment shifts when expected benefit fails to materialise and safety becomes a concern. Both Dr Hamilton and Dr Tarantino are ranked highly on our latest DOL Finder 2.0 for breast cancer. 

Lung cancer dialogue centred on the crucial question of what should follow osimertinib progression, an issue brought to the forefront by Dr Tejas Patil’s post comparing continuation vs discontinuation strategies. This debate captured significant Winter attention and highlighted the absence of clear sequencing consensus.

In bladder cancer, this season also saw meaningful attention to maintenance avelumab in elderly patients, particularly through Dr Shilpa Gupta’s discussion of new subgroup analyses – an important reminder that HCPs actively interrogate data beyond headline results. Additional attention during this season was given to the JAVELIN Bladder 100 elderly subgroup findings, an important reminder that HCPs actively interrogate data beyond headline results.

Spring 2025 (Apr–Jun 2025)

Spring served as a transitional but strategically important period, with 110,000+ HCP posts building momentum ahead of ASCO. This season broadened from cancer-specific updates to a more systemic view of cancer care, reflecting how clinicians increasingly frame innovation within real‑world feasibility and long‑term patient outcomes.

The most influential scientific conversation emerged from AACR 2025, where Dr Nicholas Hornstein’s post on MSI‑H cancer‑agnostic immunotherapy triggered widespread engagement. The combination of exceptionally strong response durability (92% RFS at two years) and low toxicity stimulated robust discussion about whether non‑operative approaches may be justified for selected early‑stage MSI‑H cases.

Spring also saw renewed focus on technology and infrastructure. Dr Faisal Sultan’s #ThenAndNow comparison of radiotherapy in 2005 vs 2025 emphasised the widening gap between older equipment and modern LINAC capabilities. This sparked broader conversation about equity of access and the importance of capital investment, especially in regions facing outdated oncology infrastructure.

Summer 2025 (Jul–Aug 2025)

Summer was dominated by the gravitational pull of ASCO 2025, generating some of the sharpest spikes in therapy‑specific conversation across the entire dataset. Engagement patterns clearly demonstrated that antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) have moved from emerging interest to central clinical priority.

The defining moment of Summer came from HER2+ metastatic breast cancer, driven by Dr Paolo Tarantino’s widely shared post on T‑DXd + pertuzumab. The “practice‑changing” survival gains he highlighted (40.7 vs 26.9 months PFS) anchored one of the year’s most influential discussions and reinforced ADCs as a dominant therapeutic class.

Beyond breakthrough therapeutics, Summer also saw a rise in survivorship and lifestyle‑related evidence. Dr Rhonda Patrick’s analysis of long‑term exercise outcomes resonated strongly with clinicians, highlighting a 28% reduction in recurrence, new cancers or death, evidence that pushed survivorship into a more central place in oncology dialogue.

Finally, the ongoing uncertainty around HR+ metastatic breast cancer sequencing remained a key theme. Dr Oscar Tahuahua’s post outlining post‑CDK4/6 inhibitor pathways was among the most shared algorithm‑focused updates of the season, reinforcing the need for clear, evidence‑based sequencing frameworks in this rapidly evolving area for continued real‑world evidence generation.

Autumn 2025 (Sep–1 Oct 2025)

Autumn delivered 82,000+ HCP posts, characterised by a shift toward optimisation – of risk assessment, early‑stage management and supportive care. While not dominated by a single congress spike, this period reflected the breadth of clinical attention: metabolic pathways, prevention strategies, perioperative care and immunology–lifestyle intersections.

One of the most unexpected yet widely engaged themes was the release of the updated ESPEN guidelines, brought to prominence through Dr Paul Wischmeyer’s detailed post. His breakdown of frailty screening requirements, CT‑based body‑composition assessment and risk‑stratified prehabilitation placed supportive care firmly back into the centre of seasonal oncology dialogue.

The second major storyline centred on precision prevention. Posts from Dr Arndt Vogel and Dr Mustafa Özdoğan – both discussing the ALASCCA trial – highlighted how low‑dose aspirin halved recurrence risk in PI3K‑altered CRC. Their commentary generated broad discussion around the practicality and scalability of genomically targeted prevention strategies.

Finally, metabolic‑immune science surged into focus after Dr Eric Topol shared emerging Cell data linking exercise‑induced microbiome changes to CD8 T‑cell activation and improved melanoma progression‑free survival. This post was one of the most conceptually influential of the season, signalling increasing HCP interest in biological mechanisms that connect lifestyle interventions to hard oncology outcomes.

Conclusion

The conversation during 2025 showed that oncology dialogue among online HCPs is both evidence‑led and increasingly multidimensional – spanning areas such as biology, survivorship, supportive care and health‑system optimisation. As cancer-specific innovation accelerates and cross‑cutting evidence grows, understanding how HCPs interpret these signals will be essential for organisations seeking to lead in the oncology space. 

If you want to find out more about tracking the scientific voice of HCPs during future congress meetings, we would be delighted to have an insightful early conversation about how we can support you and your teams. 

Next steps

Across all seasons, HCPs demonstrated a clear pattern: new evidence triggers immediate, data‑driven interpretation, shaping real‑world expectations long before guideline updates. CREATION Pinpoint enables clients to:

  • Identify genuine clinical signals vs noise
  • Benchmark scientific engagement across cancer types and therapies
  • Map competitor momentum and congress‑driven inflection points
  • Understand how clinicians interpret and challenge evidence
  • Anticipate the next pivots in clinical conversation

To explore how these insights could apply to your therapeutic area or upcoming congress planning, get in touch with us anytime. We’d be delighted to tailor a demo or overview that aligns with your business goals.

 

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Meet the Author

Bernard Groen

Bernard has worked in the NHS for nearly 15 years, culminating in a national role as Head of Data Management at NHS England/HEE. Additionally, Bernard worked at Accenture as Consulting Manager leading several large projects across a variety of public sector organisations. Bernard holds a doctoral degree and is a visiting research fellow at Durham University, and an associate professorship at UNICAF University.

Bernard loves spending time outdoors with family hiking, or on a road bike - going fast!

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