Barriers in health care to breast cancer: perception of women

Objective: Identifying the barriers in the access to health care to breast cancer perceived by women undergoing chemotherapy. Method: An exploratory descriptive study. The sample consisted of 58 women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy and registered in the public oncology ambulatory of Aracaju-Sergipe. Data collection was carried out between October 2011 and March 2012 by semistructured interviews, and data were processed using the SPSS, version 17. Results: Among the interviewed women, 37 (63.8%) reported at least a barrier in the trajectory of care for breast cancer. The organizational and health services barriers were the most reported in the periods of investigation and treatment of breast cancer. Conclusion: In face of these findings, the barriers should be considered in public health policies and programs for the control of breast cancer in Sergipe.