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Introduction: In 2000, the Danish Ministry of Health introduced a waiting time guarantee for breast cancer. All women suspected of having breast cancer must be called in for evaluation in a specialist clinic within 14 days. It was considered relevant to assess whether the guarantee is functioning according to plan. Materials and methods: A prospective registration of the referring doctors' referral pattern was carried out during a four-month period. The following data were registered: referral diagnosis, final diagnosis and waiting time from referral to assessment at the clinic. Results: During the period, 1,829 women were referred to the specialist clinic. In 90 women, the referral diagnosis was "suspicion of cancer"; 38 (42.2%) of these proved to have cancer. In 534 women, the referral diagnosis was a non-suspicious lump, bloody or clear nipple discharge or skin or nipple changes; 58 (10.9%) of these proved to have cancer. Amongst women referred with fibroadenomatosis, palpable lymph nodes or non-bloody or turbid nipple discharge, the incidence of cancer was 7 of 208 (3.4%). The waiting time guarantee for women referred with suspicion of cancer was fulfilled in 100% of the cases. The mean waiting time was five days. Discussion: It was logistically possible to fulfill the waiting time guarantee in 100% of the cases. However, the guarantee's guidelines "caught" only 31% of the women with breast cancer. If one were to expand the guarantee's inclusion criteria to encompass all women with palpable lumps, bloody or clear nipple discharge and skin or nipple changes, close to 80% of women with breast cancer would be covered by the guarantee.

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