Table 1. Time interval between the first appointment and the start of breast cancer therapy for 600 women treated in nine public hospitals of the Federal District, Brazil, between September 2012 and September 2014, according to socioeconomic and pathway characteristics.

Variable		n	%	Time interval between the first appointment and therapy
				Median	Q1–Q3
Place of residence
	Federal District	395	65.8	153.0	105.0–249.0
	Outside of the Federal District	205	34.2	180.0	102.0–304.0
Self-reported skin color
	White	226	37.6	150.0	91.5–255.0
	Brown or black	374	62.4	170.0	108.0–284.0
Family income (US$ per month)
	> 502.20	272	46.7	135.0	91.0–217.0
	≤ 502.20	311	53.3	188.0	120.0–303.5
Educational level (years)
	> 8	283	52.9	145.0	88.0–246.5
	≤ 8	317	47.1	172.0	117.0–284.0
First appointment location
	Primary care	304	50.6	191.0	123.0–313.0
	Private health services	199	33.1	133.0	86.0–202.5
	Secondary or tertiary care of another specialty	28	4.7	202.5	107.0–259.0
	Emergency	25	4.2	133.0	101.5–264.5
	Diagnosis and/or therapy services	44	7.4	153.0	86.3–269.8
Number of health services covered
	≤ 2	337	56.2	149.0	97.0–235.8
	> 2	263	43.8	176.0	118.0–320.0
Use of informal relationships to expedite some service
	Yes	234	39.0	145.0	90.0–228.0
	No	366	61.0	177.5	117.5–285.5
Cancer staging
	< IIB	255	42.5	161.0	106.0–280.5
	≥ IIB	345	57.5	158.0	102.0–252.0
Anatomopathological biopsy analysis in private services
	Yes	260	43.3	135.0	82.0–219.0
	No	340	56.7	187.0	124.8–303.3
Regulation of appointments with specialistsb
	Before implantation	176	80.0	196.0	129.0–321.0
	After the implantation	44	20.0	137.0	103.3–191.8

^a Differences that correspond to information loss.

^bn = 220, referring to women from the Federal District whose pathway began in primary care services with subsequent care in specialized or therapy services.