Atraso na primeira consulta após percepção dos sinais/sintomas de câncer de mama

This is a quantitative and cross-sectional study carried out between 2016 and 2019, in two oncology reference centers in the state of Paraiba, Brazil, which aimed to identify factors that led to the delay between the perception of signs/symptoms of breast cancer and the first appointment with a healthcare professional. A delay was considered when this interval was greater than 60 days. 141 women participated in the research. For statistical analysis, Kaplan-Meier Analysis and Cox Regression were used. The results showed that women who had access to private health services (95% CI: 0.003-0.24, p <0.01), who underwent early detection (95% CI: 0.02-0.46, p <0.01) and who had their symptoms perceived through screening tests (95% CI: 0.05-0.79; p = 0.02) had a lower risk of delay. The study indicates barriers of access for women who used public services in the state of Paraiba, as well as the fact that going through screening tests is an important factor in reducing delay.