The Kaplan-Meier estimator is a non-parametric statistic used to estimate the survival function from lifetime data, providing a way to visualize and analyze time-to-event data, particularly in medical research. It allows researchers to estimate the probability of survival over time while accounting for censored data, which occurs when individuals leave the study or have not experienced the event of interest by the end of the observation period. This estimator is crucial for understanding survival and hazard functions, as well as informing the analysis of various factors influencing survival outcomes.
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