Analysis of Failure Time Data with Mixed-Effects Accelerated Failure Time Model

In randomized clinical trials or observational studies, subjects are recruited at multiple treating sites. Factors that vary across sites may have some influence on outcomes; therefore, they need to be taken into account to get better results. We apply the accelerated failure time (AFT) model with linear mixed effects to analyze failure time data, accounting for correlations between outcomes. Specifically, we use Bayesian approach to fit the data, computing the regression parameters by Gibbs sampler combined with Buckley-James method. This approach is compared with the marginal independence approach and other methods through simulations and an application to a real example.