Prostate cancer: HCPs discuss emerging treatments, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine on social media

In March, the UK marked Prostate Cancer Awareness Month - a period dedicated to boosting recognition and tackling stigma of a cancer that affects approximately one in eight men nationwide.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and British cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy have - among many others in recent months - lifted their voices in the hopes of ensuring that more and more individuals are cognizant of the disease’s risks and symptoms.
In the House of Commons, Sunak has advocated for a national screening programme for the disease, which would, he argues, “save the NHS money and make progress towards the Government’s early diagnosis targets, but, most crucially, save thousands of lives”. He also in late February announced the start of an ambassadorial role with Prostate Cancer UK.
In a major campaign to encourage more men to check if they are at risk of the disease – inspired by his own diagnosis last year - Sir Chris Hoy has urged the wider public “to start a conversation” with loved ones - and themselves - about prostate cancer.
Their interventions mark another positive step forward for the public conversation around a disease that is now the most commonly-diagnosed across the UK.
Beyond those two examples, there are thousands of other conversations going on relating to the past, present, and future of prostate cancer care across the world. This is not least the case among healthcare professionals (HCPs) on social media. Their discussions - often left under the radar - offer us a unique insight into where those on the frontline of prostate cancer care see the current challenges and next big steps in one of the world’s most significant therapy areas.
To get a sense of what these conversations entail, Creation Healthcare analysed over 80,000 posts on X (formerly Twitter) referencing prostate cancer between January 2024 and January 2025 - authored by more than 17,000 individual HCPs.
Overall, it was found that conversation levels fluctuated over the period, often peaking during key cancer congresses, such as ESMO 2024 and the 17th Annual Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress (IPCC).
Also found was that several key themes dominated conversations. These, explored in more detail below, were: emerging therapies, the latest clinical trials, the role and potential of artificial intelligence, and the increasing prominence of precision medicine.
Emerging therapies
Throughout the year, new and emerging therapies were a major focus of online discussions among HCPs. In total, we identified almost 17,000 posts - authored by over 2,600 HCPs - referencing new therapeutic developments in the space.
Within these conversations, a significant number of HCPs brought particular attention to metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). In total, it drew over 2,200 online mentions.
Within these, AstraZeneca’s CAPItello-281 trial, involving Truqap (capivasertib), received 71 mentions, including a post by Dr Toni Choueiri noting its progression-free survival benefits, and its position as the first AKT inhibitor combination in the disease subtype. His insight reached 19,838 accounts and was reposted by 18 fellow HCPs. Elsewhere, Dr Ravi Madan wrote that he “look[s] forward” to the full data from the treatment, especially on relative toxicity.
Localised prostate cancer was also in the spotlight. Some 360 HCPs posted 1,147 times about options like neoadjuvant lutetium PSMA and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) over the study period. In one post, Dr Ilyas Shahin highlighted a phase III trial showing that SBRT was “noninferior to conventional radiotherapy” for localised prostate cancer, and that it was a “viable, efficient alternative” for patients.
Elsewhere, several other HCPs drew attention to promising new treatment options for the disease. Dr Yuksel Ürün praised the CheckMate214 trial’s nivolumab-ipilimumab combo for “superior overall survival and durable response”, while Dr Emre Yekedüz highlighted its “improved health-related quality of life” outcomes.
Artificial intelligence, imaging, and precision medicine
HCPs have long anticipated the potential integration of AI technologies into diagnostic practices, and prostate oncology is no exception. Over the study period, we identified more than 530 HCPs who used social media to discuss AI initiatives in the space - particularly in reference to the value of AI-driven tumour assessments in enhancing diagnostic precision and enabling more effective treatment planning.
Among these was urologist Dr Giovanni Caccimani, a prominent voice who posted 16 times about the importance and potential of AI in prostate cancer care. Similarly, internationally recognised expert in prostate cancer Dr Stacey Loeb highlighted the promising potential of AI biomarkers in personalising treatment for high-risk cancer cases.
Using advanced imaging technologies as a means to enhance diagnostic accuracy was also of interest. Many HCPs pointed to the role and impact of imaging-based strategies in refining treatment plans for localised and metastatic prostate cancer.
PSMA PET scans specifically attracted 3,403 mentions from 725 HCPs. Among these appeared a post by Dr Adam Weiner, which shared the details of a new study finding that these scans were more successful than MRIs at detecting small tumours. His post was shared by 16 peers. Dr Neeraj Agarwal and Dr Ürün also shared posts discussing PET scans, with the former suggesting that the innovation was “set to change the diagnostic paradigm” of cancer treatment, and the latter noting that the technology “significantly impacts” salvage radiotherapy planning in patients.
Amidst much conversation around personalised medicine, genetic evaluations played an increasingly relevant role. They were mentioned 492 times by 252 HCPs over the period. As one post by Dr Ürün indicated, though, there is still a lack of overall consensus among HCPs about using genetic treatment in a “majority” of cases of high-risk localised prostate cancer.
While Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and wider campaigns by public figures continue to draw particular attention to the UK's most common cancer, insights from healthcare professionals' online conversations are a useful indicator of the direction in which prostate cancer care is heading. They not only spotlight HCP attitudes towards promising new treatment options, but to the future of artificial intelligence and precision medicine as a tool for improving diagnosis and treatment.
Listening carefully to these unprompted HCP conversations offers a unique and critical perspective as to the past, present, and future of prostate cancer care. Tapping into real-time insights allows us to better understand and act on healthcare professionals' priorities, in the interests of better health.
About the author
Daniel Ghinn is the founder and CEO of Creation Healthcare, which provides insights and consulting to inform health strategy, communications, and policymaking among global healthcare companies, government organisations, and NGOs.