The R Project SVN R-packages

\name{Surv}
\alias{Surv}
\alias{is.Surv}
\alias{print.Surv}
\alias{Math.Surv}
\alias{Summary.Surv}
\alias{[.Surv}
\alias{format.Surv}
\alias{as.data.frame.Surv}
\alias{as.character.Surv}
\alias{is.na.Surv}
\alias{Ops.Surv}
\title{
Create a Survival Object
}
\description{
  Create a survival object, usually used as a response variable in a
  model formula.
}
\usage{
Surv(time, time2, event, type =, origin = 0)
is.Surv(x)
}
\arguments{
  \item{time}{
    for right censored data, this is the follow up time.  For interval
    data, the first argument is the starting time for the interval.
  }
  \item{x}{
    any R object.
  }
  \item{event}{
    The status indicator, normally 0=alive, 1=dead.  Other choices are
    \code{TRUE}/\code{FALSE} (\code{TRUE} = death) or 1/2 (2=death). For
    interval censored data, the status indicator is 0=right censored,
    1=event at \code{time}, 2=left censored, 3=interval censored.
    Although unusual, the event indicator can be omitted, in which case
    all subjects are assumed to have an event.
  }
  \item{time2}{
    ending time of the interval for interval censored  or counting
    process data only.  Intervals are assumed to be open on the left and
    closed on the right, \code{(start, end]}.  For counting process
    data, \code{event} indicates whether an event occurred at the end of
    the interval.
  }
  \item{type}{
    character string specifying the type of censoring. Possible values
    are \code{"right"}, \code{"left"}, \code{"counting"},
    \code{"interval"}, or \code{"interval2"}.  The default is
    \code{"right"} or \code{"counting"} depending on whether the
    \code{time2} argument is absent or present, respectively.
  }
  \item{origin}{
    for counting process data, the hazard function origin.  This is most
    often used in conjunction with a model containing time dependent
    strata in order to align the subjects properly when they cross over
    from one strata to another.}
}
\value{
  An object of class \code{Surv}.  There are methods for \code{print},
  \code{is.na}, and subscripting survival objects.   \code{Surv} objects
  are implemented as a matrix of 2 or 3 columns.

  In the case of \code{is.Surv}, a logical value \code{TRUE} if \code{x}
  inherits from class \code{"Surv"}, otherwise an \code{FALSE}.
}
\details{
  Typical usages are
\preformatted{
Surv(time, event)
Surv(time, time2, event, type=, origin=0)
}
    
In theory it is possible to represent interval censored data without a
third column containing the explicit status.  Exact, right censored,
left censored and interval censored observation would be represented as
intervals of (a,a), (a, infinity), (-infinity,b), and (a,b) respectively;
each specifying the interval within which the event is known to have occurred.


If \code{type = "interval2"} then the representation given above is
assumed, with NA taking the place of infinity.  If `type="interval"
\code{event} must be given.  If \code{event} is \code{0}, \code{1}, or \code{2}, the relevant
information is assumed to be contained in \code{time}, the value in \code{time2}
is ignored, and the second column of the result will contain a
placeholder.


Presently, the only methods allowing interval censored data are the
parametric models computed by \code{survreg}, 
so the distinction between open and closed intervals
is unimportant.  
The distinction is important for counting process data and
the Cox model.


The function tries to distinguish between the use of 0/1 and 1/2 coding for
left and right censored data using \code{if (max(status)==2)}.
If 1/2 coding is used and all the subjects are censored, it will
guess wrong.  Use 0/1 coding in this case.
}
\seealso{
\code{\link{coxph}}, \code{\link{survfit}}, \code{\link{survreg}}.}
\examples{
with(aml, Surv(time, status))
with(heart, Surv(start,stop,event))
}
\keyword{survival}
% Converted by Sd2Rd version 0.3-2.