Figure 1:

a). A multistate model for a competing risks framework acknowledging two mutually exclusive (i.e., competing) endpoints. We use cubic B-splines to estimate the time-dependent effects of baseline covariates on the hazard of cause-specific and other mortality. b) Empirical fraction (cumulative incidence) of head and neck cancer patients who are alive, have died of their cancer, or have died of other causes, as a function of time since diagnosis. c) Empirical fraction (cumulative incidence) of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer who have died from that cancer, stratified by tumor stage. Those who have not died of their cancer may have died from other causes or are alive.