A nonparametric analysis of discrete time competing risks data: a comparison of the cause-specific-hazards approach and the vertical approach

Nicolaie et al. (2010) have advanced a vertical model as the latest continuous time competing risks model. The main objective of this article is to re-cast this model as a nonparametric model for analysis of discrete time competing risks data. Davis and Lawrance (1989) have advanced a cause-specific-hazard driven method for summarizing discrete time data nonparametrically. The secondary objective of this article is to compare the proposed model to this model. We pay particular attention to the estimates for the cause-specific-hazards and the cumulative incidence functions as well as their respective standard errors.