Marginal estimation for multi-stage models: waiting time distributions and competing risks analyses.

We provide non-parametric estimates of the marginal cumulative distribution of stage occupation times (waiting times) and non-parametric estimates of marginal cumulative incidence function (proportion of persons who leave stage j for stage j' within time t of entering stage j) using right-censored data from a multi-stage model. We allow for stage and path dependent censoring where the censoring hazard for an individual may depend on his or her natural covariate history such as the collection of stages visited before the current stage and their occupation times. Additional external time dependent covariates that may induce dependent censoring can also be incorporated into our estimates, if available. Our approach requires modelling the censoring hazard so that an estimate of the integrated censoring hazard can be used in constructing the estimates of the waiting times distributions. For this purpose, we propose the use of an additive hazard model which results in very flexible (robust) estimates. Examples based on data from burn patients and simulated data with tracking are also provided to demonstrate the performance of our estimators. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.