Microcomputer-assisted univariate survival data analysis using Kaplan-Meier life table estimators.
We describe a microcomputer program (KMSURV) for exploratory univariate statistical analysis of survival data which is directly applicable to the evaluation of clinical trials and to retrospective epidemiological studies of hospital registry-based data. The program calculates life-table-like information based on Kaplan-Meier's product-limit estimators of the survivorship function S(t) and provides summary measures of average survival times. In addition, two non-parametric tests for the comparison of survival distributions are performed. A report-quality, high resolution plot of the S(t) estimates for all groups being compared complements each set of analyses. KMSURV is not a simple adaptation of a mainframe statistical analysis package and, thus, it utilizes efficiently the interactive environment which is inherent in microcomputing.
Campos-Filho
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Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Franco
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D000206:Actuarial Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000401:mortality; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008838:Microcomputers; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D011381:Programming Languages