The delay in diagnosis and treatment of 173 breast cancer patients admitted for radiotherapy at the University Hospital of Tromso is presented. The median delay from symptom to diagnosis was 2.4 months (0-98.6 months), from histological/cytological diagnosis to operation 7 days (range 0-523 days) and from operation to start of radiotherapy 47 days (range 24-102 days). There were no correlations between delay and age, tumour size, estrogen receptor status, breast involved, relapse or death of disease. A prolonged diagnostic delay (p=0.041) was revealed in the county (Finnmark) having the worsed prognosis. Delay should be minimised to reduce anxiety and unnecessary suffering and improve survival.

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