The LIFETEST Procedure

ODS Graphics

Statistical procedures use ODS Graphics to create graphs as part of their output. ODS Graphics is described in detail in Chapter 24, Statistical Graphics Using ODS.

Before you create graphs, ODS Graphics must be enabled (for example, by specifying the ODS GRAPHICS ON statement). For more information about enabling and disabling ODS Graphics, see the section Enabling and Disabling ODS Graphics in Chapter 24, Statistical Graphics Using ODS.

The overall appearance of graphs is controlled by ODS styles. Styles and other aspects of using ODS Graphics are discussed in the section A Primer on ODS Statistical Graphics in Chapter 24, Statistical Graphics Using ODS.

The survival plot is produced by default; other graphs are produced by using the PLOTS= option in the PROC LIFETEST statement. You can reference every graph produced through ODS Graphics with a name. The names of the graphs that PROC LIFETEST generates are listed in Table 7, along with the required keywords for the PLOTS= option.

Table 7: Graphs Produced by PROC LIFETEST

ODS Graph Name Plot Description PLOTS= Option
cifPlot Cumulative incidence function CIF
cifPlot Cumulative incidence function with pointwise confidence limits CIF(CL)
cifPlot Cumulative incidence function with Gray’s test CIF(TEST)
DensityPlot Density function for life-table method PDF
FailurePlot Cumulative distribution function SURVIVAL(FAILURE)
HazardPlot Hazard function for life-table method or smoothed hazard for product-limit, Breslow, or Fleming-Harrington method HAZARD
LogNegLogSurvivalPlot Log(–log(survivor function)) LOGLOGS
NegLogSurvivalPlot Log(survivor function) LOGSURV
RMSTPlot Restricted mean survival time curve RMST
RMSTPlot Restricted mean survival time curve with pointwise confidence limits RMST(CL)
RMTLPlot Restricted mean time lost curve RMTL
RMTLPlot Restricted mean time lost curve with pointwise confidence limits RMTL(CL)
SurvivalPlot Survivor function SURVIVAL
SurvivalPlot Survivor function with number of subjects at risk SURVIVAL(ATRISK)
SurvivalPlot Survivor function with pointwise confidence limits SURVIVAL(CL)
SurvivalPlot Survivor function with equal-precision band SURVIVAL(CB=EP)
SurvivalPlot Survivor function with Hall-Wellner band SURVIVAL(CB=HW)
SurvivalPlot Survivor function with homogeneity test SURVIVAL(TEST)


Additional Dynamic Variables for Survival Plots Using ODS Graphics

PROC LIFETEST passes a number of summary statistics as dynamic variables to the ODS Graphics for survival plots. Table 8 and Table 9 list these additional dynamic variables for the Kaplan-Meier curves and the life-table curves, respectively. These dynamic variables are not declared in the templates for the survival curves, but you can declare them and use them to enhance the default plots. The names of the dynamic variables depend on the STRATA= suboption of the PLOTS=SURVIVAL option: STRATA=INDIVIDUAL produces a separate plot for each stratum, and STRATA=OVERALL produces one plot with overlaid curves.

Table 8: Additional Dynamic Variables for Stat.Graphics.ProductLimitSurvival

STRATA= Dynamic Description
OVERLAY StrValj Label for the jth stratum
NObsj Number of observations in the jth stratum
NEventj Number of events in the jth stratum
Medianj Median survival time of the jth stratum
LowerMedianj Lower median survival time of the jth stratum
UpperMedianj Upper median survival time of the jth stratum
PctMedianConfid Confidence of the median intervals in percent
INDIVIDUAL NObs Number of observations
NEvent Number of events
Median Median survival time
LowerMedian Lower median survival time
UpperMedian Upper median survival time
PctMedianConfid Confidence of the median interval in percent


Table 9: Additional Dynamic Variables for Stat.Graphics.LifetableSurvival

STRATA= Dynamic Description
OVERLAY StrValj Label for the jth stratum
NObsj Number of observations in the jth stratum
NEventj Number of events in the jth stratum
INDIVIDUAL NObs Number of observations
NEvent Number of events


For information about all of the dynamic variables that are available for use in the ODS Graphics survival plot, see the section Dynamic Variables in Chapter 26, Customizing the Kaplan-Meier Survival Plot. For the use of the particular dynamic variables shown in this section, see the sections Adding a Small Inset Table with Event Information and Adding an External Table with Event Information in Chapter 26, Customizing the Kaplan-Meier Survival Plot.

Last updated: December 09, 2022