Dr Singhi on Responsibly and Effectively Leveraging Social Media for Patient Education in Oncology

"[Patient advocacy groups] are actively looking for providers to engage with their community and to provide valid, trustworthy information for patients with cancer, because there's so much misinformation and disinformation out there. [There is] truly an opportunity to correct that, to dilute that, and hopefully fill that void with a credible voice."

Eric K. Singhi, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of General Oncology in the Division of Cancer Medicine and in the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, shared how oncologists can collaborate with patient advocacy groups to responsibly use social media as a tool for effective patient education and engagement.

During a session focused on leveraging social media at the 2025 IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer, Singhi outlined strategies for medical professionals to contribute effectively to digital discourse.

A vast array of stakeholders, including major cancer centers, individual patients, and various patient advocacy organizations, are actively engaging with digital platforms such as social media, Singhi emphasized. He strongly advocated that physicians and other health care providers should also participate in these online spaces to address a significant gap in credible information. For those interested in becoming involved, Singhi suggested that collaboration with patient advocacy groups serves as an excellent starting point. In lung cancer and beyond, these groups are actively seeking medical experts and providers to engage with their communities and provide valid and trustworthy information, he noted.

Singhi then highlighted the pervasive nature of misinformation and disinformation prevalent on social media platforms concerning cancer, adding that this situation is a crucial opportunity for medical professionals to intervene. By engaging directly, physicians can actively correct erroneous information, dilute the impact of misleading content, and ultimately fill the existing void with their credible, authoritative voices, Singhi concluded.

These advances underscore the importance of continued biomarker research, prospective sequencing studies, and real-world data collection to refine treatment selection, Singhi said. The discussion also highlighted the need for consensus recommendations to guide sequencing decisions as the therapeutic landscape evolves, he concluded.