A model-based statistic for detecting molecular markers associated with complex survival patterns in early-stage cancer

摘要

BackgroundIn early-stage of cancer, primary treatment can be considered as effective at eliminating the tumor for a non-negligible proportion of patients whereas for the others it leads to a lower tumor burden and thereby potentially prolonged survival. In this mixed population of patients, it is of great interest to detect complex differences in survival distributions associated with molecular markers that potentially activate latent downstream pathways implicated in tumor progression.