Three Types of Hazard Functions Curves Described

Abstract

Not doubts that measures of short-term treatment effects (remission or response rates) are presenting great interest to provide more efficient treatments. However, for all diseases with unfavorable prognosis, to which pertains hemoblastosis, life expectancy is the most important feature. The irrevocable decision about the choice between two different treatment options is usually based on survival functions comparison. Unfortunately, this analysis is not able to reveal critical periods in disease course with distinct maximum mortality rates. Clearly, this information is very important for clinicians efforts to distinguish time intervals when patients should be specially carefully monitored. A retrospective study of the overall survival function among patients with multiple myeloma (MM), acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) and chronic myeloprolypherative disorders (CMPD), treated in our hospital, was performed. These data were complemented with results for the hazard function estimations for each form of hemoblastosis. We found different types of hazard function curves, and we expect that it would be better for treatment results evaluation to use together both survival and hazard function analysis.