Breast cancer diagnosed at an advanced stage has poorer prognosis than those diagnosed earlier. In many patients, there is a significant delay between self detection of breast lump and diagnosis of breast cancer. This delay is a major cause of upstaging of the cancer. Aim of this study is to delineate the causes of delay in diagnosis in patients of carcinoma breast, attending radiotherapy department of a tertiary hospital in one year. History sheets of the breast cancer patients were retrospectively analysed, and causes of delay of more than three months between self detection of lump and diagnosis were delineated. Most important cause for this delay was using alternative medicine. Other important causes were, fear of being diagnosed with cancer, lack of knowledge regarding cancer etc. The mean duration of delay was also significantly greater in case of using alternative medicines, than other causes.