Top ASCO 2025 clinical trials trending on social media

June 11, 2025

Carlos Areia

Senior Data Scientist at Digital Science

Do you know which clinical trials were the most discussed on social media during ASCO 2025? Leveraging our decade-plus experience in discovering the reach and engagement of data and clinical trials, Altmetric is developing a Congress Tracker, designed to capture all mentions of global congresses, map them onto topics, presentations, abstracts and data, identify the Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs), Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and the voice of the patient – and analyse them for topics, sentiment and reach.

As ever, this year’s event sparked widespread interest and conversation, both onsite and online, with exciting clinical trials taking center stage in the conversation. Let’s delve into the top 5 five most discussed clinical trials that fueled discussions within the social media community during this conference, as well as some tips for Medical Affairs teams taken from our data at the end of each under “Insight”.

Despite the gradual decline of research related engagement on X seen in the past year, the amount of ASCO 2025 posts on X affirms the continuing relevance of this platform, with >75,000 posts collected as of today (6th June 2025).

Top 5 ASCO 2025 most discussed clinical trials:

Clinical trial #1 – Structured Exercise after Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer

Presenter: Dr. Christopher Booth

Altmetric score: 3177

Clinical trial summary:

The phase-3 CHALLENGE trial delivers the first level-1 evidence that systematic, professionally guided exercise after adjuvant chemotherapy is not merely “safe” but disease-modifying in colon cancer. A 3-year mixed aerobic-resistance programme cut the long-term risk of recurrence or death and lifted 8-year overall survival versus written lifestyle advice. For practice, the data legitimise prescribing exercise as an integral component of survivorship plans, strengthening the case for reimbursable exercise-oncology services and multidisciplinary follow-up that includes physiologists, physiotherapists, other AHP and exercise professionals.

Source: Image sourced from a X post from: Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD, FASCO @oncology_bg

While Dr. Booth was getting a well-deserved standing ovation at ASCO 2025, his presentation and clinical trial results were gaining considerable online attention, with 763 X posts (on ASCO alone). Activity peaked on Day 1 during the presentation, NEJM’s announcement and as @EricTopol framed the results as “another statin-level intervention, but free”, triggering a cascade that produced two-thirds of total reach within six hours. Roughly 45 % were HCPs—mostly GI oncologists and physiotherapists—yet they generated >70 % of original voice in social media (not reposts). Patient-advocates and survivor accounts also contributed to the discourse (~10 %), often sharing personal exercise stories. Several European oncologists compared CHALLENGE with ongoing immunotherapy-de-escalation clinical trials, positioning exercise as a parallel strategy to reduce overtreatment. In conclusion, three narrative threads dominated: (1) embedding exercise prescriptions into guidelines, (2) funding models for supervised programmes, and (3) digital wearables to monitor compliance.

Insight: 1) Evidence gaps raised; cost-effectiveness and rural-access solutions were queried but unanswered, educational materials might be required.

Clinical trial #2 – Encorafenib, Cetuximab, and mFOLFOX6 in BRAF-Mutated Colorectal Cancer

Presenter: Dr Elena Elez

Altmetric score: 629

Clinical trial summary:

BREAKWATER is the first phase-3 trial to bring targeted BRAF inhibition forward to first-line therapy for the poor-prognosis BRAF V600E–mutated mCRC. Adding encorafenib + cetuximab to backbone mFOLFOX6 doubled objective response and halved the hazards of progression (HR 0.53) and death (HR 0.49) versus current oxaliplatin-based regimens ± bevacizumab. Median overall survival touched 30 months without introducing unexpected toxicities. Clinically, this stakes a new standard for BRAF-mutant mCRC, positioning triplet targeted-chemo therapy as the benchmark for regulatory and payer discussions.

Source: Image sourced from a X post from: 北熊 @kitanokumasan85

The paper triggered 669 X posts within ASCO 2025, mostly from academic GI oncologists, GI fellows, and other clinicians that dissected hazard ratios, durability and safety on social media discussions; with some posting screenshot threads showing they had already adopted this (“I have already incorporated this into my practice”). Sentiment was clearly positive, with words like “practice changing” and praising the 30 month OS. A few have cautioned about cost and the serious-AE rate, but these posts gained little amplification.

Insight: 1) Early payer scepticism around triplet cost appeared in the data, an information gap Medical Affairs can pre-empt with health-economic models. 2) Several GI oncologists requested guidance on sequencing after encorafenib failure, prime territory for advisory-board content. 3) The limited advocate presence suggests a need for plain-language materials explaining molecular testing and first-line options.

Clinical trial #3 – First-Line Camizestrant for Emerging ESR1-Mutated Advanced Breast Cancer

Presenter: Dr Nicholas Turner

Altmetric score: 475

Clinical trial summary:

SERENA-6 pioneers a molecularly triggered switch strategy in ER-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. By prospectively screening ctDNA every 2–3 months, investigators caught emergent ESR1 mutations before radiologic escape from first-line AI + CDK4/6 therapy. Moving 157 such patients to the oral SERD camizestrant while holding the CDK4/6 inhibitor extended median progression-free survival from 9.2 to 16.0 months (HR 0.44) and quadrupled time to quality-of-life decline (23 vs 6.4 months) with minimal discontinuations (1.3 %). Clinically, the trial validates liquid-biopsy surveillance and positions camizestrant as a resistance-directed, toxicity-sparing alternative to empiric chemotherapy—potentially reshaping first-line management algorithms and payer conversations around routine ctDNA monitoring.

Source: Image sourced from a X post from: Excellence in Oncology Care – EIOC @EiocOncology

The presentation and clinical trial generated 657 ASCO 2025 related posts on X; 80% landed within 24h of NEJM online release, mirroring the ASCO 2025 plenary buzz. HCPs also dominated the conversation: Academics and clinicians (mostly oncologists) authored >70% of original posts. Tone was quite optimistic: clinicians praised the 56% PFS gain and low discontinuation, while methodologists discussed the ctDNA “molecular progression” design as a template for adaptive, biomarker-driven care. Debate focused less on safety and more around implementation, such as access to rapid ctDNA assays and timing of ESR1 testing. A minority of posters asked about sequencing relative to PI3K-pathway agents and upcoming SERDs, signalling future data needs.

Insight: 1) Engagement shows clinicians are ready to act on ESR1 ctDNA but need guidance on testing intervals, assay choice, and sequencing after SERD failure. 2) Preparing concise testing algorithms and cost-effectiveness briefs will meet an explicit information gap while enthusiasm is high.

Clinical trial #4 – Overall Survival with Inavolisib in PIK3CA-Mutated Advanced Breast Cancer

Presenter: Dr Komal Jhaveri

Altmetric Score: 207

Clinical trial summary:

INAVO120 is a phase-3, double-blind study enrolling 325 adults with PIK3CA-mutated, HR-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer that relapsed within a year of adjuvant endocrine therapy. Participants received palbociclib–fulvestrant plus either the α-selective PI3K inhibitor inavolisib (50 mg q.d.) or placebo. After ≈34 months’ follow-up, median overall survival improved to 34.0 months versus 27.0 months (HR 0.67; P = 0.02). Objective responses doubled (62.7 % vs 28.0%), and updated PFS HR was 0.42. Grade ≥3 toxicities were mostly metabolic . This study positions inavolisib as a potential first-relapse triplet partner that meaningfully extends survival while retaining manageable safety.

Source: Image sourced from a X post from: Dr Amol Akhade @SuyogCancer

Social media conversation peaked during Dr Komal Jhaveri oral presentation at ASCO 2025, totaling 430 posts on X, the majority being academics, clinicians and other KOLs. Tone was very optimistic where clinicians praised the 7-month OS gain and doubled ORR, contrasting safety favourably with alpelisib. Critical voices centred on real-world feasibility, cost, the need for baseline PIK3CA testing, and proactive metabolic monitoring. A minority queried sequencing after CDK4/6 resistance and comparative data versus capivasertib or SERDs.

Insight: 1) As there were some questions on positioning vs alpelisib & capivasertib MA professionals could develop cross-trial slide decks and host KOL webinars on mechanistic differentiation. 2) There also seems to be a demand for PIK3CA testing logistics so provide lab turnaround guidance and reimbursement FAQs to support rapid genotyping might be beneficial. 3) Finally there was also significant trainee interest within the audience so perhaps offering open-access educational threads/short videos could sustain the existing momentum.

Clinical trial #5 – Overall Survival with Neoadjuvant Nivolumab plus Chemotherapy in Lung Cancer

Presenter: Dr Patrick Forde
Altmetric score: 304

Clinical trial summary:

CheckMate-816 supplies the long-awaited overall-survival confirmation for three short cycles of nivolumab plus platinum-doublet before surgery in stage IB–IIIA NSCLC. Five-year OS climbed from 55 % to 65 % (HR 0.72) versus chemotherapy alone—a 10-point absolute gain that matches many adjuvant clinical trials while sparing patients a year of post-operative therapy. Survival clustered in patients achieving pathological complete response (pCR 95 %) or presurgical ctDNA clearance (75%), validating both as actionable surrogate markers. With no new safety issues and only six weeks added to the treatment timeline, the regimen is poised to become the default neoadjuvant backbone, shifting peri-operative pathways for thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, and payers alike.

Source: Image sourced from a X post from: Hidehito HORINOUCHI @HHorinouchi

This clinical trial generated 332 X posts; activity spiked during ASCO 2025 immunotherapy session when @OncoAlert live-posted the OS curve, seeding 68% of reposts in four hours. Clinician voices dominated the conversation: mostly from Academic thoracic oncologists, cancer centres and societies produced 78% of original posts. Surgical oncologists were especially loud “finally OS, time to rewrite pre-op protocols.” Patient advocates were also present (4%) and echoed the “chemo-plus-three infusions” simplicity. Methodologists welcomed the pCR and ctDNA clearance data as “real-world surrogates” yet noted the borderline P-value (0.048) and under-representation of Black patients. Thoracic surgeons queried operative timing and peri-operative steroid management, while payers asked about cost-effectiveness versus longer peri-operative regimens (e.g., KEYNOTE-671).

Insight: 1) Creating clear algorithms on ctDNA sampling intervals and interpretation can be beneficial. 2) Providing thoracic teams with peri-operative immune-toxicity checklists also. 3) Preparing value dossiers that contrast three-cycle neoadjuvant costs with year-long adjuvant regimens.

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We have managed to identify posts and publications mentioned in ASCO 2025 by cross referencing Altmetric posts with our newest Conference Tracker prototype. This allowed us to define the top 5 papers mostly shared during ASCO 2025 and explore its data.

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