Is it possible to draw Kaplan Meier survival curves in Excel without using an
add-in?

The main difference between these and a normal line plot are that the line
should fall straight down toward the x-axis after each data point rather than
connecting one data point with the next on a diagonal.

Thanks.

Yes, it is possible to draw Kaplan Meier survival curves in Excel without using an add-in. Here are the steps to create a basic Kaplan Meier survival curve in Excel:

1. Enter your data into Excel. You will need two columns: one for the time variable (usually in months or years) and one for the survival status (1 for alive, 0 for dead).
2. Sort your data by the time variable in ascending order.
3. Create a new column for the number at risk at each time point. This is the number of subjects who have not yet experienced the event (death) at each time point. For the first time point, this will be equal to the total number of subjects. For subsequent time points, subtract the number of deaths from the previous time point from the number at risk at the previous time point.
4. Create a new column for the proportion surviving at each time point. This is the number at risk at each time point divided by the total number of subjects.
5. Create a line chart with time on the x-axis and proportion surviving on the y-axis. Add error bars to the chart using the number at risk at each time point as the error bar values.
6. Format the chart so that the line falls straight down toward the x-axis after each data point. To do this, right-click on the line and select "Format Data Series." Under "Line Style," select "No line" for the "Dash type" and "Cap type" options.
7. Add any additional formatting or labels as desired.

That's it! With these steps, you can create a basic Kaplan Meier survival curve in Excel without using an add-in.

How about using negative error bars with value the same as the y-value of
each point?
best wishes & Happy New Year
--
Bernard V Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
http://people.stfx.ca/bliengme
remove caps from email

"TC2004" wrote in message
...
Is it possible to draw Kaplan Meier survival curves in Excel without using
an
add-in?

The main difference between these and a normal line plot are that the line
should fall straight down toward the x-axis after each data point rather
than
connecting one data point with the next on a diagonal.

Thanks.

Hi,

1. Make a line chart
2. Double-click the line and on the Patterns tab set line to None and on the
Options tab check Drop lines

--
If this helps, please click the Yes button

Cheers,
Shane Devenshire


"TC2004" wrote:

Is it possible to draw Kaplan Meier survival curves in Excel without using an
add-in?

The main difference between these and a normal line plot are that the line
should fall straight down toward the x-axis after each data point rather than
connecting one data point with the next on a diagonal.

Thanks.

You have had a couple of good suggestions. You can also use scatter charts
to do this.

See the scatter chart entry at
http://www.edferrero.com/Blog/tabid/...1/Default.aspx

Ed Ferrero

Isn't a Kaplan-Meier curve really a step chart?

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/ChartsHowTo/StepChart.html
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/200...vs-step-chart/

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______



"TC2004" wrote in message
...
Is it possible to draw Kaplan Meier survival curves in Excel without using
an
add-in?

The main difference between these and a normal line plot are that the line
should fall straight down toward the x-axis after each data point rather
than
connecting one data point with the next on a diagonal.

Thanks.

No! The Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis is more than a step curve. While the
result looks like a step chart, the calculation of the values requires a
specific survival analysis technique and handling of censored data.

See this link for the basics:
http://www.cra.org/Activities/craw/d...ier.html#Basic
idea

Note that the author explains that a program (language not specified) was
used to calculate the values which were plotted in Excel.
The Kaplan -Meier curve for censored data requires a marker for sections
with censored data. This is not typical of a step chart.

Here's another example of a Kalplan-Meier curve:
http://www.bmj.com/content/vol317/is...rvprob.f1.jpeg
Again, while it looks like as step chart, it also has the censored data
markers.

Here's a link to a full Kaplan-Meier analysis including standard error
calculations and mean survival times with 95% confidence intervals.
http://www.childrens-mercy.org/stats/model/survival.asp

As Tamino http://tamino.wordpress.com/2008/12/...-relationship/ at
Open Mind recently discussed the use of Excel and R and his concern that
" Any idiot can load data into Excel and fit ..." . Care in developing and
applying techniques is required.

Kelly O'Day
http://processtrends.com



"Jon Peltier" wrote in message
...
Isn't a Kaplan-Meier curve really a step chart?

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/ChartsHowTo/StepChart.html
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/200...vs-step-chart/

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______



"TC2004" wrote in message
...
Is it possible to draw Kaplan Meier survival curves in Excel without
using an
add-in?

The main difference between these and a normal line plot are that the
line
should fall straight down toward the x-axis after each data point rather
than
connecting one data point with the next on a diagonal.

Thanks.

The OP said "draw curves", so I incorrectly assumed that the problem was
with turning known values into the stepped appearance of the chart. I did
not mean to trivialize the foregoing analysis.

Re your cite from Tamino:
"Any idiot can load data into Excel and fit ..."
This is very true (and inflammatory), but as is stated a few lines later:
"I don’t know if Excel, or R, or something else was used to fit the trend
line in question, and it doesn’t really matter."

When a statement like the first is made, the sense of the second statement
is missed, and the blog entry and its comments becomes polarized; one is
side bashing Excel and Windows and PCs and Corporate IT departments
(predominantly based on anecdotes), and the other much less vocal side is
saying that anybody can misuse analytical tools, but with foresight and
common sense you can make any platform work.

I'm glad you've taken the latter POV: "Care in developing and applying
techniques is required."

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______



"Kelly O'Day" wrote in message
...
No! The Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis is more than a step curve. While
the result looks like a step chart, the calculation of the values requires
a specific survival analysis technique and handling of censored data.

See this link for the basics:
http://www.cra.org/Activities/craw/d...ier.html#Basic
idea

Note that the author explains that a program (language not specified) was
used to calculate the values which were plotted in Excel.
The Kaplan -Meier curve for censored data requires a marker for sections
with censored data. This is not typical of a step chart.

Here's another example of a Kalplan-Meier curve:
http://www.bmj.com/content/vol317/is...rvprob.f1.jpeg
Again, while it looks like as step chart, it also has the censored data
markers.

Here's a link to a full Kaplan-Meier analysis including standard error
calculations and mean survival times with 95% confidence intervals.
http://www.childrens-mercy.org/stats/model/survival.asp

As Tamino http://tamino.wordpress.com/2008/12/...-relationship/
at Open Mind recently discussed the use of Excel and R and his concern
that
" Any idiot can load data into Excel and fit ..." . Care in developing and
applying techniques is required.

Kelly O'Day
http://processtrends.com



"Jon Peltier" wrote in message
...
Isn't a Kaplan-Meier curve really a step chart?

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/ChartsHowTo/StepChart.html
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/200...vs-step-chart/

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______



"TC2004" wrote in message
...
Is it possible to draw Kaplan Meier survival curves in Excel without
using an
add-in?

The main difference between these and a normal line plot are that the
line
should fall straight down toward the x-axis after each data point rather
than
connecting one data point with the next on a diagonal.

Thanks.