Listen to The Lancet

Alan Culver from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, discusses a research article concerning quality of life (QoL) among children with cerebral palsy. This international study highlights the characteristics of cerebral palsy that reduce QoL, and also show how, overall, children with cerebral palsy have a similar QoL compared with children in the general population.

Matthew During, author of a phase I study of gene therapy in the treatment of Parkinson's disease dicusses the study, designed to assess safety and tolerability, shows encouraging early results for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

An extended feature in this week's podcast: David Leon from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine discusses the research article suggesting that half of deaths among working-age men in a typical Russian city could be accounted for by dangerous drinking.

Transplantation of umbilical cord blood could widen the treatment options for children with acute leukaemia, according to a study in this week's issue. In the Lancet podcast, Professor John Wagner discusses the findings and implications of the research.

Xiaobin Wang and Richard Lane discuss the research article showing how folic acid supplementation can reduce the risk of stroke by around 18%, with larger decreases in risk for people with no history of stroke and in locations where there is no fortification of cereal crops.

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) affects millions of people worldwide. Maurits van Tulder from VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, author of a seminar in this week's issue, comments how quality research about RSI is needed to further understanding of this debilitating condition

Jorma Paavonen discusses the encouraging results of the human papilloma virus vaccine to protect against vulval and vaginal cancers. Jack Cuzick discusses findings highlighting an alternative approach to the treatment of early breast cancer.

Bill Summerskill and Richard Lane discuss the May 12-18 issue of The Lancet, which this week focuses on research and reviews concerning gastro-intestinal disease ahead of the digestive diseases meeting to be held later this month in Washington DC. Also featured is a discussion of the articles and Comment concerning smoke-free (SNUS) tobacco

The main focus is the lead editorial supportive of the recent report by the UK National Institute for Health and clinical Excellence (NICE) proposing that employers invest in smoking cessation programmes for employees who smoke.

Julian Burton from the University of Sheffield, UK, co-author of a review in this week's issue discusses the role of autopsy in modern society.

Professor Valerie Beral discusses the latest findings of the million women study. An estimated 1000 extra women in the UK have died from ovarian cancer between 1991 and 2005 because they were using Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Dr Grace Smith from the Health Protection Agency West Midlands Public Health Laboratory in Birmingham, UK, discusses the research article in this week's issue showing how Bovine tuberculosis could spread by human-to-human contact.

Dr Erika Sims from the University of East Anglia, UK, discusses the research article in this week's issue showing how newborn screening for cystic fibrosis is justifiable in economic terms, building on previous evidence showing the clinical value of newborn screening.

Tom Reilly from Liverpool John Moores University, UK, discusses the seminar about jet lag in this week's issue. He explains why jet lag is usually worse when travelling east, and suggests practical measures for air travellers to help reduce the effects of jet lag after long-haul flights.

March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day; in this week's podcast Dermot Maher from WHO and the STOP TB partnership detail the latest progress in global TB control efforts.

Professor Gordon Ewy from the University of Arizona discusses the results of international research concerning bystander resuscitation which highlight how chest compression alone is more effective than conventional CPR.

Nick Banatvala from the UK Department of Health discusses how a new UK strategy can help drive forward international work on global-health initiatives.

Professor Bart Fauser discusses the randomised trial highlighting how a mild treatment strategy for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) can reduce multiple births and lower costs compared with conventional IVF treatment.

Til Barnighausen from the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies discusses the implications from two randomised trials published this week showing how circumcision can halve HIV transmission in heterosexual men.

Faith McLellan interviews former US President Jimmy Carter in Ethiopia and learns about the Carter Center outreach programmes for river blindness and malaria.

The link between antimicrobial use and increasing resistance is the main feature of this week's podcast.

The new technique of targeted muscle reinnervation that has enabled a young woman to have improved use of a prosthetic arm is highlighted in this week's podcast.

James Butcher outlines highlights from this week's themed stroke issue, which contains articles describing recent advances in the genetics, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of stroke.

This week's podcast includes an interview with Peter Strebel from WHO about new findings describing a 60% reduction in measles deaths worldwide between 1999 and 2005.

This week's podcast highlights the resurgence of syphilis in China, detailed in a research article.