Mean Residual Life Models with Time-Dependent Coefficient Under Right Censoring

• Activity Number: 596
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 4, 2011 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: WNAR
• Author(s): Liuquan Sun*+
• Companies: Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Keywords: Mean residual life ; Semiparametric models ; Time-varying coefficient ; Right censoring ; Estimating equation ; Model checking

Abstract

The mean residual life (MRL) provides the remaining life expectancy of a subject surviving up to a certain time point. When covariates are present, regression models are needed to study the association between the mean residual life function and potential regression covariates. In this paper, we propose a flexible class of semiparametric MRL models where some effects may be time-varying and some may be constant over time. In the presence of right censoring, we make use of the inverse probability of censoring weighting approach and develop inference procedures for estimating the model parameters. In addition, we provide graphical and numerical methods for model checking and tests for examining whether or not the covariate effects vary with time. Both asymptotic and finite sample properties of the proposed estimators are established and the approach is applied to real life data sets collected from clinical trials.