36th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, San Antonio, TX, USA, 10-14 December 2013 Progress in the treatment of breast cancer continues to require the thoughtful planning of new clinical trials and patient participation in those trials. During the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), the results of several clinical trials with practice-changing implications were presented. Additionally, the results of numerous interesting and provocative observational studies were reported. There were also several plenary lectures during the 2013 SABCS that addressed timely and controversial topics. The SABCS is a global forum for clinicians and scientists who are committed to eradicating the burden of breast cancer mortality worldwide. In this report, we highlight only a few of the many important studies and plenary talks presented during the 2013 SABCS.