Survival modeling and assessing prognostic factors of colorectal cancer in Ethiopia: Addressing violation of statistical assumptions

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major global health challenge, with rapidly rising incidence in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Survival outcomes are compromised by late-stage presentation, limited therapeutic capacity, and weak post-treatment follow-up. Although survival analysis is critical for characterizing CRC prognosis, insufficient attention has been given to the performance and validity of commonly applied survival models in Ethiopian populations, particularly when statistical assumptions are violated.