This book aims to promote regression methods for analyzing lifetime (or time-to-event) data that are based on a representation of the underlying process, and are therefore likely to offer greater scientific insight compared to purely empirical methods.

In contrast to the rich statistical literature, the regression methods actually employed in lifetime data analysis are limited, particularly in the biomedical field where D. R. Cox's famous semi-parametric proportional hazards model predominates. Practitioners should become familiar with more flexible models. The first hitting time...