A general framework for neural network models on censored survival data.

Flexible parametric techniques for regression analysis, such as those based on feed forward artificial neural networks (FFANNs), can be useful for the statistical analysis of censored time data. These techniques are of particular interest for the study of the outcome dependence from several variables measured on a continuous scale, since they allow for the detection of complex non-linear and non-additive effects. Few efforts have been made until now to account for censored times in FFANNs. In the attempt to fill this gap, specific error functions and data representation will be introduced for multilayer perceptron and radial basis function extensions of generalized linear models for survival data.