The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium® is filled with robust scientific programming and events focused on the research, diagnosis, treatment, and lived experience of breast cancer. As registration continues for SABCS® 2025, veteran attendees are sharing their reasons for returning again and again to this one-of-a-kind gathering.
Carole Baas, PhD, is the National Advocate for the Physical Sciences in Oncology Network and serves on the Cancer Imaging Steering Committee and the Patient Advocate Steering Committee at the National Cancer Institute. She is a breast cancer survivor; a member of the Cancer Research Advocate, Breast Cancer, and the Experimental Imaging Sciences Committees at ECOG-ACRIN; and a member of the SABCS 2025 Program Planning Committee. She has attended SABCS more than 10 times.
Mary Jimenez is the 2025 Director of the Alamo Advocate Program of the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation and Chair of the Community Outreach and Engagement Advisory Board for the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. She will be attending SABCS for her 22nd year.
What is your most memorable experience from all the years you have attended SABCS?
Dr. Baas: I first attended SABCS in 2005, just a year after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The most memorable experience for me was walking into the convention center that first morning and realizing I was surrounded by thousands of people — researchers, doctors, and advocates — all dedicated to understanding and fighting breast cancer. For the first time, I felt part of a larger community, and it gave me both hope and purpose. I was especially grateful that the conference made registration affordable for patient advocates; without that, I wouldn’t have been able to attend and have such a life-changing experience.
What is one SABCS session or event that you most always attend?
Jimenez: The opening keynote remains a must-attend session for me. It consistently offers both inspiration and breakthrough developments.
How have the personal and professional connections formed at SABCS helped you grow in your advocacy?
Dr. Baas: SABCS is not only a place to hear the latest scientific advances in breast cancer, it’s also an opportunity to meet the world’s leading researchers in oncology. I’ve been able to talk, in person, with scientists whose work interests me and catch up with researchers whose grants I’m on. Just as importantly, SABCS has deepened my relationships within the advocacy community — first by learning from experienced mentors, and later by serving as a mentor myself. These connections have led to lifelong friendships and numerous advocacy and research initiatives, all moving us closer to the shared goal of ending breast cancer.
Jimenez: The connections, relationships, and partnerships I’ve formed with fellow advocates, researchers, and industry professionals at SABCS have been instrumental in keeping me informed about significant breast cancer breakthroughs and developments. These relationships also help me identify existing gaps in knowledge and care, enabling us to work collectively toward addressing these challenges.
What is your advice to patient advocates for getting the most out of SABCS?
Dr. Baas: Advocates should plan on making the Advocate Lounge their home base during the meeting. It’s a great place to network, especially at lunchtime. Another “must” for advocate attendees is to go to as many of the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation programs as possible.
Jimenez: I strongly suggest joining the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation’s Hot Topics Mentor Sessions held at the close of each day. These sessions offer direct access to national key opinion leaders who highlight the day’s most compelling insights, while also providing a forum for questions and networking opportunities with fellow advocates, industry representatives, and researchers.
What San Antonio take-home souvenir has been the biggest hit back home?
Dr. Baas: Mexican pastries, known as pan dulce in Spanish. There are so many different kinds, and all of them are delicious!
What is your advice to plan for December weather in San Antonio?
Jimenez: Check the weather forecast before you leave. The weather is mostly mild but can vary in the winter. And bring a sweater — sometimes it’s colder inside than outside.
