The Lancet in conversation with

Niall Boyce welcomes Professor Stuart Pocock, author of two Lancet papers, published 35 years apart: 1991's "Can meta-analyses be trusted?" and 2026's "What makes a meta-analysis believable?" They discuss what makes a trustworthy meta, and how the smart clinician should use the totality of evidence to inform clinical care. Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01087-1/fulltext

What cardiovascular issues can women experience in pregnancy, and why? Lancet editors Niall Boyce and Chloe Wilson talk with Professor Garima Sharma, one of the authors of a new Series of papers aiming to bring the cardiovascular health of pregnant women into the mainstream of primary and secondary care. Click here to read the full series: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01235-3/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(26)00190-1/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01234-1/fulltext

What are mRNA vaccine, how do they work, and how might they be used for in the future? And why is there a gap between the evidence and some people’s perception of their safety and efficacy? Niall Boyce from The Lancet talks to Anna Blakney, biomedical engineer and one of the authors of new Review paper "Safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines: a mechanistic and public health perspective". Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00512-X/abstract

What are cardiometabolic long-term conditions? To mark the publication of a new Lancet Series, editors Niall Boyce and Flávia Geraldes talk to Professor Kamlesh Khunti of the University of Leicester. They learn about a new way of conceptualising common medical conditions that has the potential to radically transform both health services and patient outcomes. Click here to read the full series: https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/lancet-series-cardiometabolic-multiple-long-term-conditions

In this episode of The Lancet In Conversation With, editors Niall Boyce and Bea Gómez Pérez-Nievas are joined by three leading researchers to discuss highlights from The Lancet's special issue on neurology. The conversation covers three landmark studies: the PADOVA trial of prasinezumab in early-stage Parkinson's disease, the ORATORIO-HAND study extending ocrelizumab treatment to wheelchair-using patients with progressivemultiple sclerosis, and the HEAD study comparing tau PET tracers in Alzheimer's disease — each representing a significant step forward in the field. The guests also reflect on the broader forces reshaping neurology: the push toward earlier, biomarker-guided intervention, cross-specialty learning between the multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's fields, and emerging platforms such as CAR T-cell therapies and blood-based biomarkers. From the transformative success of spinal muscular atrophy treatment to the prospect of an EBV vaccine preventing MS, the discussion strikes a note of cautious optimism about a specialty that is entering a new therapeutic era. Visit the lancet.com to discover more

Do we need to rethink our response to conflict and forced displacement? A new Lancet Commission radically rethinks policy, funding, and practical approaches to humanitarian crises. Chair Professor Paul Spiegel joins Niall Boyce from the Lancet to discuss the aims and recommendations of this Commission on one of the most pressing health issues of the 21st century. Click here to visit the commission page and read the full article: www.thelancet.com/commissions-do/conflict-forced-displacement   

The Lancet’s Niall Boyce and Jonathan Pimm, and eBioMedicine’s Kalypso Karastergiou discuss an exciting new potential treatment for alcohol use disorder: semaglutide. As new research is published in The Lancet, they go behind the headlines with lead author Professor Anders Fink-Jensen to ask what the study showed, and what its implications are for the future of addiction medicine. Click here to read the full article:  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00305-3/fulltext

The uniqueness of each patient is at the heart of this year's World Cancer Day. Each cancer patient has their own hopes, dreams and fears. In this Podcast you will hear from two cancer survivors about their unique experience with cancer and the importance of personalised cancer care not only on their bodies but also on their lives. Continue this conversation on social! Follow us today at... https://thelancet.bsky.social/ https://instagram.com/thelancetgroup https://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournal https://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancet https://youtube.com/thelancettv

In Conversation with The Lancet returns with Dr Susannah Stanway, honorary consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden and honorary clinical senior lecturer in Education at the Institute of Cancer Research, reflecting on London Global Cancer Week 2025. This episode goes beyond event highlights to discuss the need for a global oncology agenda rooted in equity, evidence-based care, and value across care settings. Topics span from geriatric oncology to cardio-oncology, nursing workforce resilience, cancer care in conflict zones, and sustainable health financing, showing how multi-stakeholder collaboration can drive policy and practical improvements, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Listeners will take away practical steps for action: integrating geriatric assessment and baseline cardiovascular risk checks, strengthening cancer registries and national audits, and pursuing domestic funding for universal health coverage. The discussion highlights the urgency of addressing cancer globally including context specific solutions sensitive to local settings and emphasises prevention, early diagnosis, and accessible treatment as core priorities. Click here to visit the London Global Cancer week website Continue this conversation on social! Follow us today at... https://thelancet.bsky.social/ https://instagram.com/thelancetgroup https://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournal https://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancet https://youtube.com/thelancettv

Ultra-processed foods are on the rise. Despite the emphasis placed on individual responsibility, our deteriorating diets are primarily the result of the sophisticated political tactics of a powerful global ultra-processed food industry. Addressing this urgent threat demands a coordinated response from the global public health community. So argues a 3-paper Series published in The Lancet that examines the evidence, proposes policies to halt and reverse the rise in ultra-processed foods, and illuminates the fundamental political and economic drivers at play. Professor Carlos Monterio, Professor Camila Corvalán, and Professor Phil Baker join host Callam Davidson to discuss this powerful and timely Series. Click here to visit the series hub: https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/ultra-processed-food Download the 'Lancet Series on Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health' infographic here: https://www.thelancet.com/infographics-do/ultra-processed-food-2025 Continue this conversation on social! Follow us today at... https://thelancet.bsky.social/ https://instagram.com/thelancetgroup https://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournal https://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancet https://youtube.com/thelancettv