Customizing the Kaplan-Meier Survival Plot in SAS

Kaplan-Meier plot is very commonly used in analyzing the clinical trial data. If the study endpoint is time to event such as progression free survival, overall survival in oncology trials, time to first exacerbation in COPD trials, the Kaplan-Meier curve must be presented.

In a previous article, I described Using SAS ODS Graphics with Example for Generating Kaplan-Meier Curves. The graph template was utilized for modifying the features of the Kaplan Meier curve. However, the process is very cumbersome since we have to make sure that we identify the correct template and we have to copy and paste the lengthy template into the SAS program. The graph template language (GTL) was not easy to read and modify.

Luckily, SAS has now provided detail instructions for customizing the Kaplan-Meier plot. It also developed several macros to let users to modify the relevant sections of the graph template without actually copying and pasting the lengthy graph template languages into the program.

Here are the User’s guide for SAS version 9.4 and 9.3.

• SAS/Stat 14.1 User’s Guide Customizing the Kaplan-Meier Survival Plot
• SAS/STAT® 13.1 User’s Guide Customizing the Kaplan-Meier Survival Plot

The graph template language are located on the SAS website and can be read into the SAS session through the following program.

data _null_;
    %let url = //support.sas.com/documentation/onlinedoc/stat/ex_code/141; 
              *for SAS 9.4;
   *%let url = //support.sas.com/documentation/onlinedoc/stat/ex_code/131; 
              *for SAS 9.3;
   infile "http:&url/templft.html" device=url;
   file 'macros.tmp';
   retain pre 0;
   input;
   if index(_infile_, '') then pre = 0;
   if pre then put _infile_;
   if index(_infile_, '') then pre = 1;
run;
%inc 'macros.tmp' / nosource;

User’s Guide describes two macros ProvideSurvivalMacros and CompileSurvivalTemplates. With these two macros, the Kaplan-Meier plot can be customized with several easily understood statements. Below is an example program to further modifying the Kaplan-Meier plot that was generated in the previous blog. Some notes are added to indicate the purpose of each statement. 

%ProvideSurvivalMacros                                     

%let TitleText0 = "Kaplan-Meier Plot of Disease Free Time";   
*Change the title; 

%let TitleText1 = &titletext0 " for " STRATUMID;

%let TitleText2 = &titletext0;

%let ntitles=1;                       *suppressing the second title;

%macro StmtsBeginGraph;                                       *add footnote;

entryfootnote halign=left "ABC Pharmaceuticals %sysfunc(date(),worddate.)" /

textattrs=GraphDataText;

%mend;

%let GraphOpts = attrpriority=none DataLinePatterns=(solid ShortDash LongDash); 

                              *change line pattern;

%let yOptions = label="Patients without an event (%)"

     linearopts=(viewmin=0 viewmax=1

     tickvaluelist=(0 .25 .50 .75 1) tickdisplaylist=('0' '25' '50' '75' '100')) ;    

     *modify y-axis label and display as percentage instead of fraction;

%let xOptions   = label="Disease Free Time (days)" offsetmin=0

         linearopts=(viewmin=0 viewmax=2500 
tickvaluelist=(0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500) 
tickvaluefitpolicy=XTICKVALFITPOL);      *modify x-axis;

%let InsetOpts = ;         *Remove the legend for censored value;

%let LegendOpts = title='' location=inside across=1 autoalign=(BottomRight);   

         *change the legend for treatment group;

%CompileSurvivalTemplates  /* Compile the templates with upated information*/

ods rtf file="c:\temp\test.doc" style=journal;

ods graphics on/noborder;     *remove the border of the graph area;    

ods noptitle;                *remove the default title; 

title;                *remove the default title 'SAS System';

ods trace on;

proc lifetest data=BMT plot=survival(nocensor atrisk(outside maxlen=13 
atrisktick)=0 to 2500 by 500); 
         *Place the atrisk outside;

      ods select SurvivalPlot;

      time T * Status(0);

      strata Group / test=logrank adjust=sidak;

      run;

run;

ods trace off;

ods graphics off;

ods rtf close;

proc template;

   delete Stat.Lifetest.Graphics.ProductLimitSurvival;

   delete Stat.Lifetest.Graphics.ProductLimitSurvival2;

run;

The output graph is attached here. 

Additional Resources:

• SAS Graph Line Patterns
• SAS Proc Lifetest Documentation
• SAS 9.3 Customizing the Survival Plot
• Creating and Customizing the Kaplan-Meier Survival Plot in PROCLIFETEST in the SAS/STAT® 13.1 Release