Lancet

For want of a nail, the ancient proverb goes, the shoe was lost. It has long been observed that the smallest oversights can have downstream effects. Indeed, all of life is a series of actions and consequences—a truth that serves a guiding principle of Abraham Verghese's 2009 novel Cutting for Stone. As a physician and writer born in Ethiopia to parents of Indian descent, Verghese's fiction draws on his personal, cultural, and professional experiences. His literary writing often features intricate medical passages that explore the complexities of both illness and its management, as well as explorations of politics in India and Ethiopia.

The books we read as children are the stories that make us what we are. These are the books that shape our identities, inspire our journeys, and evoke our ambitions. An influential lecturer during my time in medical school suggested that one of the best things anyone can do for a child's long-term physical and mental health, is read to them regularly.

Specialist in pulmonology, infectious disease, and internal medicine. Born on July 7, 1959 in Hanover, Germany, he died on March 10, 2024 in Hanover aged 64 years.

The Director for Health Emergency Interventions of WHO congratulates Valerie Percival and colleagues of The Lancet Commission on peaceful societies through health equity and gender equality on the launch of their important and timely publication.1

With a high level of interest, I read The Lancet Commission on peaceful societies through health equity and gender equality by Valerie Percival and colleagues.1 The Commission's report admirably illuminates the transformative potential of health equity and gender equality in shaping peaceful societies. The emphasis on the intersectionality of health equity and gender equality brings to the fore the essence of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security.2 The findings seem to also align with Hudson's analysis in her work.

As cancer epidemiologists, we support the recommendations of The Lancet Commission on women, power, and cancer,1 which emphasised favourable structural contexts, routine data collection, and the prioritisation of research. Regularly collecting data on sex, gender, and socioeconomic factors in cancer statistics is essential for understanding health inequalities among populations. Providing these indicators enables health-care practitioners to personalise health care according to the specific needs of these populations.

The Lancet Commission on women, power, and cancer makes it clear that when it comes to cancer, women and girls must be considered vulnerable.1 Using data on Syrian refugees, we would like to highlight the specific vulnerabilities of a subgroup of women and girls—namely, those who left their homes as migrants and refugees.

The surge in scarlet fever and invasive group A streptococcal infection in England during winter, 2022–23,1 has stimulated the consideration of optimal sore throat management, as point-of-care tests for diagnosis are not routinely used. Clinical prediction scores can identify patients who are most likely to benefit from antibiotics; however, balance is required between optimising clinical outcome, antimicrobial stewardship, cost-effectiveness, and reducing transmission.2,3 Ideally, interventions should be appraised on these wider public health merits.

We read the NATTINA study by Janet A Wilson and colleagues,1 which supports the immediate tonsillectomy approach for adults with recurrent acute tonsillitis. Although we acknowledge that Wilson and colleagues have provided a comprehensive explanation of the study's limitations, several concerns remain. First, the study enrolled patients between May, 2015, and April, 2018, with the primary outcome being the number of sore throat days observed over a 24-month period. However, some participants might have experienced the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during the early months of 2020.

The publication by Janet Wilson and colleagues1 captivated my attention. This pioneering randomised controlled trial enhances our comprehension as otolaryngologists, offering crucial evidence for tonsillectomy's efficacy in adults with recurrent tonsillitis.2

We read with great interest the Article by Janet A Wilson and colleagues.1 The authors concluded that immediate tonsillectomy is more effective and cost-effective than conservative management in adults with recurrent acute tonsillitis.

We welcome the enthusiasm of fellow researchers to explore other aspects of recurrent tonsil disease in adults and comment on our Article.1 Christopher R Jones and colleagues highlight the putative association between tonsillectomy rates, tonsillitis admission, and invasive group A streptococcus incidence in children.2 It is impossible for us to suggest how improved and timely access to tonsillectomy could affect societal levels of invasive group A streptococcus but the trends in tonsillectomy rates are clear.

A 47-year-old woman presented to our institution with a 1-month history of swelling and a painless skin plaque on her left breast. 6 years earlier, the patient had been treated for luminal A invasive ductal carcinoma in the superomedial quadrant of the left breast; she had neoadjuvant chemotherapy, breast-conserving surgery, radiation therapy—a whole breast dose of 50 Gy plus a 10 Gy boost to the tumour bed—and oral tamoxifen. The patient had been found to have no recurrence of the tumour at any subsequent follow-up appointments.

Journalist Linda Villarosa's writing has scrutinised pervasive racial health inequities in the USA, challenging health professionals and wider society to recognise the adverse impacts of racism on health. Her insights come from in-depth research, but her outlook is also influenced by the racism she experienced in childhood. Following the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement and nationwide laws in the USA against racial discrimination, Villarosa's parents realised they had an opportunity to leave their home in the South Side of Chicago, IL.