The concordance index C and the Mann-Whitney parameter Pr(X>Y) with randomly censored data

Biom J. 2009 Jun;51(3):467-74. doi: 10.1002/bimj.200800228.

Abstract

Harrell's c-index or concordance C has been widely used as a measure of separation of two survival distributions. In the absence of censored data, the c-index estimates the Mann-Whitney parameter Pr(X>Y), which has been repeatedly utilized in various statistical contexts. In the presence of randomly censored data, the c-index no longer estimates Pr(X>Y); rather, a parameter that involves the underlying censoring distributions. This is in contrast to Efron's maximum likelihood estimator of the Mann-Whitney parameter, which is recommended in the setting of random censorship.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Biometry / methods
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care / methods*
  • Proportional Hazards Models*
  • Statistics, Nonparametric*
  • Survival Analysis*
  • Survival Rate
  • Survivors / statistics & numerical data*