This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with advanced stage breast cancer diagnosis among 18,890 women assisted in a specialized hospital in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1999 to 2016. We used Poisson regression with robust variance to estimate prevalence ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals. The highest prevalence of diagnosis in this condition was in women aged 20-39 and 40-49 years, black and brown, living without a partner, from other cities of the state of Rio de Janeiro, who were referred by the Unified Health System and diagnosed in the 1999-2004 and 2005-2010 six-year periods. On the other hand, women aged 60-69 and 70-99 years, with some schooling level, with a family history of cancer and who arrived at the hospital with diagnosis and without treatment had lower prevalence of advanced stage breast cancer diagnosis. These results can be considered when planning secondary prevention actions to anticipate and, thus, collaborate to reduce the prevalence the breast cancer diagnosis in the most vulnerable groups.