Table 1.

Questionnaire dimensions and items

1. Means of problem identification (self discovery or screening)
2. First symptom identified by the patient
3. Patient initial interpretations of symptoms
Perceived seriousness	Initial worry
Initial interpretation of cancer
4. Breast cancer symptoms present at arrival to the cancer hospital
Lymphadenopathies	Breast ulcer
Breast pain	Breast pruritus
Arm pain	Breast enlargement
Paresthesias of breast and/or  ipsilateral arm	Form changes of the breast
Breast skin changes	Nipple discharge
5. Most worrisome symptom for the patient
6. Patient's reason for seeking medical care (appearance of symptoms/persistence of symptoms/worsening of symptoms)
7. Patient's perception of delay
Perception of patient delay	Perception of provider delay
8. Patient's perceived reasons for patient delay
Thought symptoms would  resolve alone	Carelessness/neglect
Didn't know where to seek  care	Fear
Lack of financial resources	Embarrassment
Difficulty to miss work	Taking care of young children, older or ill relatives
9. Patient's perceived barriers to have caused provider delay
Lack of information of health  services	Lack of financial resources
Fear	Difficulty to miss work
Perceived errors in diagnosis  of first doctors consulted	Perceived long waiting times for medical appointments
Had to take care of  youngsters, elders or ill relatives	Had to borrow money to get medical care
Financing source for payment  of health care
10. Health service utilization
First health service used  (public, private, other)	Breast ultrasound requested by first doctor consulted
Number of different health  services consulted	Biopsy requested by first consulted doctor
Diagnostic impression of the  first doctor consulted	Health service of referral to hospital
Mammogram requested by  the first consulted doctor	Biopsy done previous to arrival at hospital
11. Social network support for seeking medical attention
Instrumental support	Sex of person of most support
Emotional support	Size of network activated for breast problem
Recommendations to consult  a doctor	Sex of social network members
Financial support	Kinship with members of her social network
Company to medical  consultations	Sex of first person who she told
Kinship with person of most  support	Number of women older than 15 living at same household
12. Time between identification of the problem and the first time to talk to someone about it
13. Use of alternative medicine
14. Cancer-related knowledge
Knowledge of a person with  cancer	Has heard about mammograms
Knowledge of mammograms'  utility	Knowledge of recommended age for first screening mammogram
15. Cancer screening practices
Last Pap smear	Screening Breast Clinical Exam before current breast problem
Mammograms before current  breast problem	Breast Self Examination practice
16. Dates
Symptom discovery	First medical consultation