Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2021 / iii / Paper 207 / 6 / a / Solution

At each distinct event time $t_j$, let $d_j$ events occur among $r_j$ people in the risk set. The Kaplan–Meier estimator iscensorings remove people from later risk sets but create no factor.

Left truncation, or delayed entry, means that an individual is observed only after surviving to an entry time. A registry assembled from patients alive when a clinic opens is a practical example. Adapt Kaplan–Meier by admitting each person to the risk set only at their entry time.

Period survival analysis is useful when recent prognosis is desired but complete long-term follow-up of a recent diagnosis cohort is unavailable. For a chosen calendar year, intersect every patient's observed follow-up with that year. Express the surviving pieces on the time-since-diagnosis scale, treat the beginning of the calendar window as delayed entry and its end as right censoring, and apply Kaplan–Meier with those entry and exit times.