title: Quantile regression models with multivariate failure time data.
abstract: As an alternative to the mean regression model, the quantile regression model has been studied extensively with independent failure time data. However, due to natural or artificial clustering, it is common to encounter multivariate failure time data in biomedical research where the intracluster correlation needs to be accounted for appropriately. For right-censored correlated survival data, we investigate the quantile regression model and adapt an estimating equation approach for parameter estimation under the working independence assumption, as well as a weighted version for enhancing the efficiency. We show that the parameter estimates are consistent and asymptotically follow normal distributions. The variance estimation using asymptotic approximation involves nonparametric functional density estimation. We employ the bootstrap and perturbation resampling methods for the estimation of the variance-covariance matrix. We examine the proposed method for finite sample sizes through simulation studies, and illustrate it with data from a clinical trial on otitis media.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. gsyin@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jianwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D001699:Biometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009225:Myringoplasty; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000601:surgery; D011336:Probability; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018401:Sample Size; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure