Semiparametric transformation model:A hierarchical Bayesian approach

Abstract

The use of semiparametric or transformation models has been considered by many authors in the analysis of lifetime data in the presence of censoring and covariates as an alternative and generalization of the usual proportional hazards, the proportional odds models, and the accelerated failure time models, extensively used in lifetime data analysis. The inferences for the proportional hazards model introduced by Cox (1972) are usually obtained by maximum likelihood estimation methods assuming the partial likelihood function introduced by Cox (Cox, 1975). In this study, we consider a hierarchical Bayesian analysis of the proportional hazards model assuming the complete likelihood function obtained from a transformation model considering the unknown hazard function as a latent unknown variable under a Bayesian approach. Some applications with real time medical data illustrate the proposed methodology.