DEAR DR. ROACH: I have recently read that Jack Andraka, a teenager from Maryland, discovered a test to determine if a person has early stage pancreatic cancer. He won the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

He used a paper dipstick sensor in blood or urine. He worked for several months with Anirban Maitra, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University.

My dad had pancreatic cancer when he was 70 years old. How can I get this new test? I am nearing 70. — R.G.

ANSWER: First off, congratulations to Mr. Andraka. What a remarkable feat at any age! I am sure we can expect much more from him.

However, this is not yet a screening test for pancreatic cancer. It works by detecting mesothelin, a protein expressed by most (57 percent to 97 percent) pancreatic cancers but not in healthy people. In that respect, it is similar to PSA as a marker for prostate cancer. It remains to be seen whether the test can find cancer early enough to be able to remove it while curable.

The test is not yet available. The process that it will have to go through to be shown useful is long, and eventually will include a study of screening. Likely, it will be a few years before it could be used clinically.

Any improvement in detection for pancreatic cancer would be welcome, since it is such a difficult cancer to find at a curable stage. Unfortunately, it is still possible that the mesothelin test may be unable to do so. Only carefully done trials will tell.

What is perhaps more exciting is that the method used to detect this protein at a very low level in the blood is novel and potentially useful for other tumor markers as well.

TO READERS: Many headache questions reach me on a regular basis. For a general explanation of headaches and their treatment, consider the booklet on that topic. It presents a comprehensive view. To order a copy, write: Dr. Roach — No. 901, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four days for delivery.

DEAR DR. ROACH: Following a severe but self-limiting bout of food poisoning, can one experience changes in bowel movements? Should tests for liver function be considered if the person is feeling well and has no other symptoms? — B.W.

ANSWER: “Food poisoning” can refer to any illness carried in food, and these, as you say, usually go away by themselves without need for treatment. Probably the most common are toxins in the food made by bacteria, which cause diarrhea. In fact, it is common for there to be a period of time after a diarrheal illness during which the bowel may seem to be sluggish or inactive. During diarrhea, the amount of time it takes food to go from the mouth all the way through out the other end is much shorter than normal, as the intestines and bowel move very quickly (one reason we get cramps during diarrhea). When the toxin is gone, the gut moves again at the regular speed, and so a day or even two may go by without a bowel movement. Of course, everyone has his or her own schedule, and these numbers change accordingly.

Tests of liver function are not usually necessary for a self-limited diarrheal illness so long as the person is back to normal.

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there any way to prevent a stroke? My 90-year-old sister just had one. She’s still unconscious. — N.N.

ANSWER: I am sorry to hear about your sister. A stroke is the sudden loss of brain tissue from blockage of blood flow. Careful control of blood pressure and cholesterol definitely reduce the risk for stroke. Most women over 55 can reduce their risk of stroke with an aspirin a day, but daily aspirin is powerful enough to be worth talking to your doctor about.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Health newsletters may be ordered from www.rbmamall.com.

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