Bayesian semiparametric inference for multivariate doubly-interval-censored data

Based on a data set obtained in a dental longitudinal study, conducted in Flanders (Belgium), the joint time to caries distribution of permanent first molars was modeled as a function of covariates. This involves an analysis of multivariate continuous doubly-interval-censored data since: (i) the emergence time of a tooth and the time it experiences caries were recorded yearly, and (ii) events on teeth of the same child are dependent. To model the joint distribution of the emergence times and the times to caries, we propose a dependent Bayesian semiparametric model. A major feature of the proposed approach is that survival curves can be estimated without imposing assumptions such as proportional hazards, additive hazards, proportional odds or accelerated failure time.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOAS368 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Censoring Unbiased Regression Trees and Ensembles

This paper proposes a novel approach to building regression trees and ensemble learning in survival analysis. By first extending the theory of censoring unbiased transformations, we construct observed data estimators of full data loss functions in cases where responses can be right censored. This theory is used to construct two specific classes of methods for building regression trees and regression ensembles that respectively make use of Buckley-James and doubly robust estimating equations for a given full data risk function. For the particular case of squared error loss, we further show how to implement these algorithms using existing software (e.g., CART, random forests) by making use of a related form of response imputation. Comparisons of these methods to existing ensemble procedures for predicting survival probabilities are provided in both simulated settings and through applications to four datasets. It is shown that these new methods either improve upon, or remain competitive with, existing implementations of random survival forests, conditional inference forests, and recursively imputed survival trees