DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Recently a close relative of mine died of ovarian cancer. In discussing this with my gynecologist, she told me that there is a blood test to detect ovarian cancer, and she gave me a script for it. It’s the CA-125 test. I researched it on the Internet and found that it has a high false-positive and false-negative rate. Since I have no symptoms, I wonder if this test is advisable for me. What is your opinion? – P.H.

ANSWER: The CA-125 blood test is a good test for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment for a woman with ovarian cancer and for detecting the recurrence of it. It also is useful for uncovering ovarian cancer in a woman who has a high risk of coming down with it. “At high risk” means a woman who has a mother, sister or daughter who has or had the cancer. If your relative was one of these, you should have the test. For the general population, it is not a good screening test, for the reasons you cited.

Ovarian cancer in its early stages is treatable and curable. A screening test for it is a high priority for medical research. Most women are diagnosed with the cancer when it has spread widely through the body. At that point, it is much more difficult to treat.

However, if women are attuned to the early symptoms of this cancer, detection is possible. Bloating, increasing abdominal size, pelvic or abdominal pain, urinary frequency and a feeling of fullness after eating only a few mouthfuls are symptoms of early ovarian cancer. If a woman has one or more of these symptoms daily for a few weeks, she should see her doctor for a check for ovarian cancer. These symptoms are the kinds of symptoms that are easily brushed off.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: There are 41 pages of physicians in my Yellow Pages phone book. Not a single geriatric doctor is listed. I am a reasonably healthy white male, born in 1919. I see a cardiologist, a lung guy, a gastroentero guy, an eye guy, an orthopedist, a podiatrist and a primary-care guy.

Medical schools must teach a geriatric discipline, or there wouldn’t exist the word “geriatric,” right? Where are these doctors? – G.O.

ANSWER: Geriatrics is a bona fide medical specialty. Geriatricians take care of older people with complicated and multiple medical problems. Not every senior citizen needs this kind of specialist. Family physicians and general internists can take care of most older people. Your primary-care guy handles most of your ailments, correct?

Geriatrics is a relatively new medical field, and there aren’t a whole lot of these doctors right now. However, you live in a large urban center, I bet if you called a local hospital, you could get the name of a geriatrician.

Your list of doctors made me think of a definition of old age that my sister-in-law devised: She says old age is an endless series of doctor visits. She’s right.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I few years ago I had an ulcer, and they did a scope exam to take care of it. Shortly after, my stomach began to look as if I was four months pregnant. I had to throw away jeans and underwear because they were too tight. I asked why this happened, but no answer was given to me. My friend says they fill you full of air when they do the scope thing. Can you give me an answer? I have had no weight gain. In fact, I lost 6 pounds. I am 82. – B.W.

ANSWER: Your friend is wrong. The doctor doesn’t fill you with air when he or she uses a scope to inspect the stomach and duodenum for an ulcer. She’s thinking of an entirely different procedure.

An expanding waist can be a cancer sign, but that is not likely in your case. Other signs would have developed over the time span you mention.

I am sorry to say I don’t have an explanation for you, and I can’t relate it to your scope exam. The scope examined your stomach. What’s bulging is your abdomen, the place that contains your stomach, intestines, liver, spleen and other organs. Weak abdominal muscles are usually the reason why the abdomen sticks out.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com