Fig. 1A–B.
Prespecification of two types of multistate models for the clinical course of patients with soft tissue sarcoma after curative surgery is presented. The transition hazards for the respective transitions between the states are αxy(t). (A) Multistate model Type 1 is a three-state, three-transition unidirectional illness death model, with States 1, 2, and 3 representing initial, transient, and absorbing states, respectively. In State 1, patients are alive and free from disease after curative surgery. They can remain in this initial state, transition to intermediate State 2 (Transition 1), or transition to the absorbing State 3 (death) either directly from State 1 (Transition 2) or from State 2. No back-transition is allowed between the states. (B) Multistate model Type 2 is a five-state model. The full clinical course of patients with soft tissue sarcoma after curative surgery is specified. T = transition.