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Olubukola Ayodele: I Leave ASCO25 Feeling Recharged Not Just By Data But By Direction

Olubukola Ayodele/LinkedIn

Jun 4, 2025, 16:52

Olubukola Ayodele: I Leave ASCO25 Feeling Recharged Not Just By Data But By Direction

Olubukola Ayodele, Consultant Medical Oncologist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“As I waited at the airport lounge to board my flight back to the UK from Chicago, I was sitting there with so many emotions: excitement, gratitude and reflection.

This week has been a whirlwind of powerful data, inspiring conversations and meaningful connections.

And then, something truly special happened. I met Prof Giuseppe Curigliano, President-Elect of ESMO.

For someone who’s admired his work from afar, this was a dream come true and as fate would have it, today is my birthday. What a gift to speak with someone who has shaped global oncology and who still speaks with vision, humility and passion.

He told me something that truly resonated: ‘This has been the best ASCO in the last 5 years especially for breast cancer.’

He’s right.

From:

DESTINY-Breast09 redefining 1st-line HER2+ mBC

ASCENT-04 exploring ADC + IO in TNBC

SERENA-6 targeting ESR1 mutations before radiographic progression

INAVO120 showing OS benefit in endocrine-resistant PIK3CA-mutant disease

To…

The CHALLENGE Trial, which reminded us that science is also about survivorship.

This Canadian-led trial showed that a structured exercise programme reduced the risk of disease recurrence in stage II–III colon cancer survivors, with a strong trend toward improved disease-free survival (DFS).

While it wasn’t a breast cancer trial, the implications are universal: MOVEMENT is MEDICINE. We often underestimate the power of lifestyle interventions but it’s time we integrated them meaningfully into cancer care pathways.

And just before he left, Prof Curigliano hinted: ‘There’s more coming at ESMO in October in Berlin.’

I leave ASCO2025 feeling RECHARGED not just by data but by direction.

Yes, we need new molecules. But we also need to redefine care to include quality of life, financial dignity, equity, and evidence-based prevention.

Today, as I celebrate another year of life: I carry with me the people, the progress and the purpose that ASCO reignited.

Onwards to Berlin, but first, back to clinic, back to community, back to why this all matters.”

Olubukola Ayodele

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Olubukola Ayodele: I Leave ASCO25 Feeling Recharged Not Just By Data But By Direction

“As I waited at the airport lounge to board my flight back to the UK from Chicago, I was sitting there with so many emotions: excitement, gratitude and reflection.

This week has been a whirlwind of powerful data, inspiring conversations and meaningful connections.

And then, something truly special happened. I met Prof Giuseppe Curigliano, President-Elect of ESMO.

For someone who’s admired his work from afar, this was a dream come true and as fate would have it, today is my birthday. What a gift to speak with someone who has shaped global oncology and who still speaks with vision, humility and passion.

He told me something that truly resonated: ‘This has been the best ASCO in the last 5 years especially for breast cancer.’

He’s right.

From:

DESTINY-Breast09 redefining 1st-line HER2+ mBC

ASCENT-04 exploring ADC + IO in TNBC

SERENA-6 targeting ESR1 mutations before radiographic progression

INAVO120 showing OS benefit in endocrine-resistant PIK3CA-mutant disease

To…

The CHALLENGE Trial, which reminded us that science is also about survivorship.

This Canadian-led trial showed that a structured exercise programme reduced the risk of disease recurrence in stage II–III colon cancer survivors, with a strong trend toward improved disease-free survival (DFS).

While it wasn’t a breast cancer trial, the implications are universal: MOVEMENT is MEDICINE. We often underestimate the power of lifestyle interventions but it’s time we integrated them meaningfully into cancer care pathways.

And just before he left, Prof Curigliano hinted: ‘There’s more coming at ESMO in October in Berlin.’

I leave ASCO2025 feeling RECHARGED not just by data but by direction.

Yes, we need new molecules. But we also need to redefine care to include quality of life, financial dignity, equity, and evidence-based prevention.

Today, as I celebrate another year of life: I carry with me the people, the progress and the purpose that ASCO reignited.

Onwards to Berlin, but first, back to clinic, back to community, back to why this all matters.”