By Stephanie DeViteri, President, Inizio Evoke Comms, North America
Health more human™ isn’t just our company tagline, it’s a calling. It reflects how we must communicate, collaborate, and care if we want to deliver on the promise of today’s breakthroughs. As someone who’s worked in health communications for over 20 years but attended #ASCO25 for the first time this year, I came in as a student and left with conviction. I was moved by the science, yes, but also by what was misunderstood, unspoken, and still missing.
Patients need clarity, not complexity. Scientific breakthroughs are outpacing our ability to explain them. Consider the news around a treatment for mutating breast cancer that showed a 54% reduction in mortality. Laden with complex medical jargon, it is difficult for the average patient to grasp the significant clinical implications. If we want to build trust, we have to close the gap and explain what matters in language that translates and resonates broadly.
Media is craving narrative, not just news. The most powerful stories from #ASCO25 weren’t just about data, they were about patients choosing hope, sometimes even dangerously, through TikTok trends over evidence-based treatments. This isn’t just misinformation. It’s a call for better storytelling that educates, compels, and humanizes innovation.
Policymakers are still reacting and patients can’t afford to wait. AI, precision medicine, and access innovation were front and center. But policy reform? Not so much. With the WHO estimating that 1 in 5 people will face cancer in their lifetime, we need bold narratives that link discovery to economic value, equity, and whole-person health to move the needle, improve access and optimize care.
Providers are overloaded but not over it. Burnout wasn’t on the agenda, but it was in the air. You could see the spark return when innovations promised to reduce administrative burden or restore purpose. Providers are part of the human equation. Let’s tell those stories and elevate their work not just as implementers, but as influencers of what human-centered care should look like.
Pharma is poised but needs permission to be human. We saw bold, breathtaking science. But the moments that stuck with me were deeply human: a patient’s tears, an equity pledge, a shared laugh during a mental health panel. The bridge between science and society is empathy. White space for commercialization and advocates.
At Inizio Evoke Comms, we believe health communications must evolve as rapidly as the science it seeks to support. What we saw at #ASCO25 underscored a powerful truth: when science speaks, it needs a human voice to be heard. We’re committed to partnering across the ecosystem - to translate complexity, elevate untold stories, and create space for meaningful, human-centered dialogue. Let’s continue the conversation about how we can communicate boldly, empathetically, and with purpose - because that’s how we make health more human™.
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