Delay of medical care for symptomatic breast cancer: a literature review.

The purpose of this paper is to organize and summarize existing information on delayed medical attention for women with breast cancer and identify research needs in this area. This review is organized in six parts: origins and permanence of the message 'do not delay' medical attention for potential cancer symptoms; definition and classification of breast cancer delay; impact of delay on breast cancer prognosis; factors related to breast cancer delay and the ways these have been studied; the study of breast cancer delay in Mexico; and directions for future research in developing countries, with a special focus on Mexico. We point out the need of a more integral study of delay that takes into account socio-structural and health services factors, in order to find modifiable factors towards which political actions should be directed to improve breast cancer medical attention in underdeveloped countries.