4 Ways Oncologists Use Social Media to Debunk Myths and Dispel Misinformation

In 2025, social media platforms have become an invaluable tool to learn something quickly, connect with colleagues, and stay abreast with the latest news and trends across specialties. However, using these tools remains a double-edged sword, especially with the spread of misinformation, which is why Eric K. Singhi, MD, and Shruti Patel, MD, have taken it upon themselves to challenge misinformation about cancer on social media.

“I’ve always believed that my calling in medicine doesn’t end at the clinic door,” Singhi said in an interview with OncLive®. “As a thoracic medical oncologist, I see firsthand how much misinformation or confusion exists specifically about lung cancer.”

With social media platforms being widely used by many stakeholders in the oncology realm, surveys have underscored the benefit of using these tools.1 Of note, in a survey of oncology health professionals and advocates (n = 1076) asking if they used social media, 94% agreed that social media is a useful tool to disseminate medical information, and 93% reported that social media is useful for education and training.2

“Seeing really bad cancer takes online [on social media] is hard to see when you've seen the effects misinformation [has] in the hospital. [I’ve seen] the end result. [Something] looks [nice] online, and then [patients are] getting consulted in the hospital because of something they saw online that was not good for them, but they thought that was going to cure their cancer,” Patel added in another interview. “I’ve started realizing that it is never the patient's fault that they heard something or saw something that they believed in.”

Singhi is a thoracic medical oncologist in Houston, Texas. Patel is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine in the Division of Oncology at Stanford Medicine.

Here are 4 ways Singhi and Patel have used social media platforms to push back against social media myths and misinformation as full-time oncologists, and how they leverage their expertise to create educational content.

Turning Complex Science Into Digestible Information

Garnering an ever-growing presence on platforms such as Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), Singhi and Patel have taken their posts to the next level with vertical form videos that cover a variety of topics, including debunking myths, discussing treatments recently approved by the FDA, and breaking down science into understandable terms.

Singhi: I started my @lungoncdoc account [across social platforms] to create a trusted, evidence-based space where patients, caregivers, trainees, and the public could learn directly from a physician. My goal was never to ‘be an influencer,’ but to be a reliable educator who translates complex science into clear, useful information that can help people make informed decisions about their cancer care. Social media allows me to reach beyond my clinic list of patients to educate on a national and even global scale. Whether it’s explaining the latest research in plain language, busting myths about lung cancer, or raising awareness during Lung Cancer Awareness Month, I can engage thousands of people in conversations that truly matter. This amplifies my clinical work because it extends education and advocacy far beyond the walls of my clinic.

Patel: [Social media is about the] volume. You're in clinic and maybe see 15 to 20 patients, depending on the day. However, there are so many more people that you can [reach with social media] with your message and your words, [using] facts and evidence-based medicine. A lot of times, even in clinic, I don't have the time to go through some of the stuff that I put on social media. I don't have time to go through every single study that shows that sugar doesn't feed cancer, because we have a million other things to talk about in a patient visit. To me, [spreading more of my messages on social media is] just a good way to also help my own patients, and it also helps other people's patients because a lot of oncologists are unable to address all these things in all their visits.

Even beyond patients who have been diagnosed with cancer, people are scared of cancer [in general]. Although heart disease kills more people, people are scared of cancer. All of my friends, and everyone who is in their 30s, say, ‘We're hearing about increased rates of cancer. What do we do?; It's good to have a healthy fear of it. Yet, you can put good information out there, instead of fear-based information [that claims] you can only eat strictly organic whole [food]. There's a lot of information about cancer that people, even those who aren't diagnosed, want [to know], and there's a place for that.

Balancing Day-to-Day Work With Social Media

Singhi: For me, [my social media work] isn’t ‘influencing’ in the traditional sense; rather, it’s an extension of my role as a physician-educator. I integrate it into my schedule, often putting together content during quieter times and using moments between clinic and research work to post or engage. Because my goal is to educate, not to post constantly, I focus on quality and accuracy over quantity, which helps me maintain a work-life balance.

Patel: Essentially, when an idea does come to mind, I use my notes app, and I have a bunch of ideas on there. When I know I have washed and dried my hair, put on some concealer, then I'm like, ‘Okay, today is the day that I hopefully will try to make some content.’ I would say I'm just getting started [with content creation on social media]. Sometimes, if there's like a block of time and I have 30 to 45 minutes, [then I’ll film something]. It takes a lot of time to put things together [with editing] and make sure things are lined up. It's a whole new world.

I have a lot of other responsibilities in my life, and [I don’t want to] make this feel like yet another [just another task]. I know that's probably the best way to grow, but I don't want this to turn into something tough on my life, because I want it to be fun and I want it to be real.

Jumping on Trends and Hot Topics in the Cancer Space

Singhi: I stay aware of trends, but I only engage with them if they serve the educational mission. For example, if there’s a trending sound or format that could help make an important fact about the diagnosis or treatment options for lung cancer stick, I adapt it to fit that message. I also stay connected with other health care educators, which helps me spot opportunities to present information in a way that resonates while staying scientifically accurate.

Patel: It's really important for me to always be me. If I'm looking at a study, I have to be critical of it. I have to see how it would benefit patients and not think about what other people are going to think about it. I to say, ‘This is what I think, based on my opinion, and based on my assessment.’ Even if another influencer says, ‘Yeah, these 4 fruits are going to save you from colon cancer,’ and even if they have more followers than me or [engagement], I still have to stay true to what I believe with science and statistics, and some people might not agree, but that's OK.

A lot of [the topics I choose to create content with] come from either stuff that I've seen when I'm scrolling sometimes, and ideas that organically come up. [For example,] I saw something about how after prostate cancer, some patients get penile rehab, but women with breast cancer typically don't get referred to pelvic floor therapy. Patients with rectal cancer also don't get that. When an idea [comes] to my mind, I have to stew on it and figure out how to make it into a reel. Sometimes I think about messages that I want to convey, and then I try to figure out how to get people interested in the topic.

Stepping into Other Professional Opportunities by Virtue of Social Media and Other Outlets

Singhi: Through @lungoncdoc, I’ve been invited to speak at national conferences, collaborate on educational campaigns, develop research relationships, and work with incredible advocacy organizations. These opportunities often arise because someone encountered my content online and saw the value of clear, accessible medical communication. It’s a modern way of building trust and credibility that complements, rather than replaces, traditional professional networks.

Patel: OncLive is a great example of [an outlet] where you get that exposure. One of my colleagues messaged me a few weeks ago, ‘I saw you on OncLive,’ and it's nice to see that colleagues are seeing what you're putting out there. I tell anybody who is in oncology that their online presence matters. You're online whether you want to be or not. That's just the reality of life [today]. [Additionally], your online presence can really bring you to more opportunities. I've met a lot of good friends on social media who are now like collaborators and close colleagues, where we talk about research and things like that together. There are a lot of partnerships I've had that were born out of [social media]. I can't say there's a specific thing, but I imagine that a lot of the speaking invites that I get, interviews, and things like that, probably come from social media.

References

1. Loeb S, Langford A, Bragg MA, et al. Cancer misinformation on social media. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024; 74(5):453-464. doi:10.3322/caac.21857
2. Morgan G, Tagliamento M, Lambertini M, et al. Impact of COVID-19 on social media as perceived by the oncology community: results from a survey in collaboration with the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the OncoAlert Network. ESMO Open. 2021;6(2):100104. doi:10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100104.