On using index cases in the study of late-onset diseases

• Published in: Statistics & probability letters Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 31 - 37
• Main Author: Berger, Agnes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 1999; Elsevier
• Series: Statistics & Probability Letters
• Subjects: Applications; BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes; Censoring; Exact sciences and technology; Familial disease; Index case; Index case Late-onset disease Censoring Kaplan-Meier estimator Familial disease BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes; Kaplan-Meier estimator; Late-onset disease; Mathematics; Medical sciences; Probability and statistics; Sciences and techniques of general use; Statistics; Familial disease; Index case; Censoring; Late-onset disease; BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes; Kaplan-Meier estimator; Statistical method; Non parametric estimation; Disease; Epidemiology; Medical application
• ISSN: 0167-7152; 1879-2103
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-7152(98)00119-9

The method of index cases (Weinberg, 1927; Haldane, 1938; Fisher, 1934; Gold et al., 1967) is used to construct a non-parametric estimator for the average cumulative risk of a late-onset disease in a population, under censoring, which is consistent even if the risk is suspected to vary with the individual in an unknown manner. In contrast, illustrations show the need for caution when index cases are used for testing whether a disease is familial.