An overview of statistical methods for multiple failure time data in clinical trials

Area of Science:

• Biostatistics
• Clinical Trials
• Survival Analysis

Background:

• Clinical trials often involve subjects experiencing multiple events during follow-up.
• These events can be recurrences of the same type or entirely different events.
• Analyzing multiple event times is crucial for efficient inference of treatment effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review statistical procedures for analyzing multivariate failure time data.
• To discuss methods for two-sample and general regression problems in survival analysis.
• To provide recommendations for practical application with different multiple event data structures.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing statistical procedures for multivariate failure time analysis.
• Discussion of methods applicable to two-sample comparisons.
• Exploration of regression models for survival data with multiple events.

Main Results:

• Identified and reviewed various procedures for analyzing multiple event times.
• Highlighted the importance of utilizing all event data for efficient analysis.
• Provided guidance on selecting appropriate methods based on data structure.

Conclusions:

• Effective analysis of multivariate failure time data enhances the understanding of treatment effects.
• The reviewed procedures offer valuable tools for biostatisticians and researchers.
• Recommendations are provided for practical implementation in clinical trial analysis.