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What oncologists really talked about at ASCO 2025 — and why it matters

24.06.2025 | Insight

What oncologists really talked about at ASCO 2025 — and why it matters

Every year, thousands of oncologists, healthcare professionals (HCPs), and pharma leaders descend on the ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Annual Meeting. It’s the place to hear cutting-edge science, present breakthrough data, and connect with peers across the oncology landscape.

So of course, CREATION.co was there too — meeting HCPs, talking with pharma teams, absorbing the science… and quietly tracking what was happening online. Because behind the podium presentations and poster halls, there’s another layer of insight unfolding in real time: the social media conversation.

Why Do We Listen to the Online HCP Voice?

In her opening address, ASCO President Dr. Robin Zon shared a jaw-dropping stat:

“At least one new medical article is published every 26 seconds.”
 That’s nearly 5,000 articles a day. 

No HCP can keep up, which is why they rely more than ever on peer networks to stay informed, interpret data, and cut through the noise.

One oncologist we spoke to from Argentina told us how “blessed” she felt to attend ASCO and how deeply she felt the responsibility to share what she learned with others – both fellow doctors and her patients.

She’s not alone.

We tracked over 110,000 social media posts about ASCO2025 during the five days of the congress. By using our CREATION Pinpoint technology, we filtered those down to verified HCP voices; around 27% of the conversation. And in that focused slice, we found gold: Real-time reactions. Honest critiques and who were the most peer-trusted HCPs in those conversations

Here’s what we uncovered – and what it means for pharma teams looking to engage HCPs more meaningfully.

1. Not All Data Lands the Same Way

Some trials got standing ovations. Others sparked debate.

Take AstraZeneca’s SERENA-6 trial in breast cancer — the most discussed trial at ASCO 2025.

One US oncologist called it “practice-changing.”

But another, Dr. Stephanie Graff (Ranked #1 by CREATION for HCP peer-trust in the SERENA-6 conversation) questioned aspects of the data design, and her post was amplified by 10 other HCPs. 

Lesson: Don’t just track the volume. The nuance is in how HCPs respond, interpret, and share the data. That’s where the insight lives.

2. Peer Trust > Follower Counts

Influencers may grab headlines, but it’s peer-trusted voices that drive real engagement.

In the lung cancer area, during a live session on June 2nd, data from the IMforte lung cancer trial was presented. At exactly the same time, social media conversations peaked. One post from Dr. Liu was reposted by 17 HCPs and mentioned by 27 others – making him the top-ranked HCP in that conversation by peer trust.

We also saw this play out in rare diseases. In polycythemia vera, a single post from Dr. Talha Badar summarising Takeda’s VERIFY trial was shared 8 times; a big number for a rarer cancer area. He and Dr. Andrew Kuykendall (who presented the data) were the two most peer-trusted voices in that space.

Lesson: Influence isn’t about who shouts the loudest — it’s about who gets heard and shared by peers who matter.

3. Critique = Engagement

Not every post is a glowing endorsement, and that’s a good thing.

We saw HCPs go beyond hot takes to write full-length critiques, like Dr. John Mandrola’s long-form blog on the CHALLENGE trial (GI cancer). His Substack post led to high engagement by HCPs on Stubstack and X. 

Lesson: Criticism isn’t opposition, it’s attention. And it means HCPs are taking the data seriously. Pharma should lean into that, not shy away. 

4. Social Media Has No Borders

Each day during ASCO, we published a LinkedIn post featuring daily highlights and identifying the top 3 HCP voices by peer impact. Here’s what stood out: Only 25% of those most influential HCPs were based in the U.S.

Doctors from Brazil, Argentina, India, Japan, Greece and Italy were not just part of the conversation, they were leading it.

Lesson: Digital opinion leaders (DOLs) are already shaping the story, no matter where they’re based. If you’re not listening globally, you’re missing key voices.

 

Why It Matters

HCPs aren’t waiting for your field team to turn up with a post-congress deck. They’re already reacting, interpreting, and influencing each other — live, during the sessions.

At CREATION.co, we help pharma leaders decode that conversation. We identify the most trusted voices, understand how key data is landing, and reveal what’s really resonating with HCPs.

Because knowing what was presented is step one.
 Knowing how it was received is where the real value lies.

If you’d like to explore insights from a specific trial, therapy area, or DOL segment from ASCO 2025, get in touch. We’ve got the data — and more importantly, the context.

 

 

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Meet the Author

Jon Gunne