The analysis of competing events like cause-specific mortalitybeware of the Kaplan-Meier method

Abstract

KaplanMeier analysis is a popular method used for analysing time-to-event data. In case of competing event analyses such as that of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality, however, the KaplanMeier method profoundly overestimates the cumulative mortality probabilities for each of the separate causes of death. This article provides an introduction to the problem of competing events in KaplanMeier analysis. It explains cumulative incidence competing risk analysis and demonstrates on a cohort of elderly dialysis patients that, in contrast to the KaplanMeier method, application of this method yields unbiased estimates of the cumulative probabilities for cause-specific mortality. © 2010 The Author.