A Bayesian Approach For Multi-Stage Models With Linear Time-Dependent Hazard Rate

Multi-stage models have been used to describe progression of individuals which develop through a sequence of discrete stages. We focus on the multi-stage model in which the number of individuals in each stage is assessed through destructive samples for a sequence of sampling time. Moreover, the stage duration distributions of the model are effected by a time-dependent hazard rate. The multi-stage models become complex with a stage having time-dependent hazard rate. The main aim of this paper is to derive analytically the approximation of the likelihood of the model. We apply the approximation to the Metropolis-Hastings (MH) algorithm to estimate parameters for the model. The method is demonstrated by applying to simulated data which combine non-hazard rate, stage-wise constant hazard rate and time-dependent hazard rates in stage duration distributions.