Calculating sample size for clinical trial

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium embodying computer usable program code for calculating a sample size for a clinical trial of a first treatment, the computer program product comprising:

• computer usable program code for reading a survival curve from a clinical trial for a second treatment;
• computer usable program code for selecting a plurality of points on the survival curve;
• computer usable program code for storing coordinates for each of the plurality of points;
• computer usable program code for generating a hazard curve based on the coordinates that were stored;
• and
• computer usable program code for calculating a sample size for the clinical trial of the first treatment using a Markov model based on the hazard curve.

A method for calculating a sample size for a clinical trial of a first treatment, comprising:

• reading a survival curve from a clinical trial for a second treatment;
• selecting a plurality of points on the survival curve;
• storing coordinates for each of the plurality of points;
• generating a hazard curve based on the coordinates that were stored;
• smoothing the hazard curve;
• and
• calculating a sample size for the clinical trial of the first treatment using a simulation method based on the hazard curve.