title: Semiparametric transformation models with time-varying coefficients for recurrent and terminal events.
abstract: In this article, we propose a family of semiparametric transformation models with time-varying coefficients for recurrent event data in the presence of a terminal event such as death. The new model offers great flexibility in formulating the effects of covariates on the mean functions of the recurrent events among survivors at a given time. For the inference on the proposed models, a class of estimating equations is developed and asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are established. In addition, a lack-of-fit test is provided for assessing the adequacy of the model, and some tests are presented for investigating whether or not covariate effects vary with time. The finite-sample behavior of the proposed methods is examined through Monte Carlo simulation studies, and an application to a bladder cancer study is also illustrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Mathematics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China Institute of Applied Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China. xingqiu.zhao@polyu.edu.hk
authors.forename: Xingqiu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Liuquan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D001699:Biometry / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012008:Recurrence; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality