External validation of a red cell-based blood prognostic score in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with first-line immunotherapy combinations.

Immunotherapy combinations with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) had significantly improved outcomes of patients with mRCC. Predictive and prognostic factors are crucial to improve patients' counseling and management. The present study aimed to externally validate the prognostic value of a previously developed red cell-based score, including hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and red cell distribution width (RDW), in patients with mRCC treated with first-line immunotherapy combinations (TKI plus ICI or ICI plus ICI).

Childhood infectious diseases and risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma according to the WHO classification: A reanalysis of the Italian multicenter case-control study.

Since 1960, incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has been increasing in most industrialized countries, but causes of this trend remain unclear. A role of the decreased exposure to infectious agents during childhood has been proposed. Our study evaluates the association between common childhood infectious diseases and the risk of NHL and its major subtypes by a reanalysis of the Italian multicenter case-control study.

Effects on Clinical Outcomes of a 5-Year Surgical Safety Checklist Implementation Experience: A Large-scale Population-Based Difference-in-Differences Study.

The adoption of a surgical checklist is strongly recommended worldwide as an effective practice to improve patient safety; however, several studies have reported mixed results and a number of issues are still unresolved. The main objective of this study was to explore the impact of the first 5-year period of a surgical checklist-based intervention in a large regional health care system in Italy (4 500 000 inhabitants). We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study on 1 166 424 patients who underwent surgery in 48 public hospitals between 2006 and 2014.

Childhood infectious diseases and risk of multiple myeloma: an analysis of the Italian multicentre case-control study.

Common childhood infectious diseases have been associated with a reduced risk of following haematopoietic malignancies, but investigations on multiple myeloma (MM) are scarce. Information about 213 MM cases and 1128 healthy controls were obtained from a multicentre population-based Italian case-control study. The association between chickenpox, measles, mumps, pertussis and rubella and the MM risk was estimated by unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender and residence area.

[Qualitative research: which priority for scientific journals?].

Quantitative and qualitative approaches in scientific research should not be looked at as separate or even opposed fields of thinking and action, but could rather offer complementary perspectives in order to build appropriate answers to increasingly complex research questions. An open letter recently published by the BMJ and signed by 76 senior academics from 11 countries invite the editors to reconsider their policy of rejecting qualitative research on the grounds of low priority and challenge the journal to develop a proactive, scholarly and pluralistic approach to research that aligns with its stated mission. The contents of the letter, the many voices raised by almost fifty rapid responses and the severe but not closed responses of the editors outline a stimulating debate and hopefully prelude some "change in emphasis", ensuring that all types of research relevant to the mission of the BMJ (as well as other core journals) are considered for publication and providing an evolving landmark for scientific and educational purposes.