However, as an awareness raising exercise breast self examination will at least get them into their GPs office, so it has some merit, whereas they may well have not done so otherwise. Regardless, regular breast screening has the the best outcome.
Indeed so. And, intuitively, things like breast self-examination are such obvious common sense that it seems ridiculous to question them. However, while there can be any number of individual cases where there may be a benefit -- like min's sister -- the evidence for a measurable population effect is lacking.
Partly, this may be due to a phenomenon called 'lead time bias', where survival time with the disease appears longer (because it is diagnosed earlier), but actually the outcome in terms of percentage death rates is unchanged.
Partly, too, I suspect it is a reflection of the fact that medical care per se has a tiny effect on average lifespan and population health, as compared to clean water, decent diet, sanitation etc.
So, should you self-examine? Yes, probably -- you have nothing to lose apart from a little extra anxiety and a bit more medicalisation in your life. Just don't believe it is a sure way not to die from breast cancer. It isn't.
QDM