Testing the proportional odds model under random censoring

In practical applications, it is not uncommon for the hazard functions of two groups to converge with time. One approach that allows for converging hazard functions is the proportional odds model. We develop a procedure for testing the proportional odds assumption when the available data consist of two independent random samples of randomly right-censored lifetimes. Asymptotic normality of the test statistic is proved and the procedure is applied to two well-known datasets. The effective significance level and power of the proposed test are assessed through a simulation study. Copyright Biometrika Trust 2003, Oxford University Press.