Actions of nurses in early detection of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE Identify the actions for early detection of breast cancer performed by nurses from basic health units; compare the compliance of these actions with the recommendations from the Ministry of Health; analyze the availability of documents to check these recommendations and analyze the association of variables "training," "lato sensu training," and "years of activity" of these professionals with the actions performed. METHOD A cross-sectional study conducted with 133 nurses from 38 basic health units in the Southeast region of the municipality of São Paulo, interviewed with a validated questionnaire. RESULT Most nurses reported actions to detect this neoplasm. Guidance on the first mammogram age was significantly associated with training, years of activity and availability of Basic Attention Book nº 13. CONCLUSION This study observed a positive influence of training and years of activity on the actions for early detection of breast cancer and the need for adjustments in national guidelines.