[R-sig-ME] Mixed Effects with Cox model (multiple events)

[Ben Bolker]

On 14-03-11 11:26 AM, Maria Helena Mourino Silva Nunes wrote:
> Dear all,
> 
> I want to describe the time interval between mammography screenings
> as a function of several clinical and demographic variables. For each
> woman, I have several events and each event corresponds to the time
> interval between two consecutive mammography screenings. Also,
> women's data sets come from ten different primary health centres. I
> have data from 1995 up to 2013.
> 
> I was thinking on developing a Cox regression model with multiple
> events (as, for instance, Andersen and Gill model). Having in mind
> there are differences between the primary health centres, I was
> wondering if I could use a mixed model where women were nested on the
> primary health centres. I've already tried to use the "coxme" package
> but it didn't work. Is it possible to use a mixed model in this
> context? What package should I use?
> 
> Thanks, in advanced, for your attention.
> 
> Best regards, Helena Mouriño Nunes.

  For CPH you will probably have to use a specialized package.  The
survival package has a frailty() function that "allows one to add a
simple random effects term to a Cox or survreg model" (and choose among
gamma, gaussian, or t-distributed random effects).  I don't know how
this will fit in with your multi-event model, but that's where I would
start ...

  Ben Bolker