controller: Define a Controller

In TrialSimulator: Clinical Trial Simulator

Define a Controller

Description

Define a controller of a trial. This is a user-friendly wrapper for the class constructor Controller$new(). Users who are not familiar with the concept of classes may consider using this wrapper directly.

TrialSimulator uses a controller to coordinate a trial object and a listener object to run simulations, in which the trial object defines endpoints, arms, and other settings of a trial, while the listener object monitors trials to triggered pre-defined milestones and execute action functions. See vignettes of this package for more examples.

Usage

controller(trial, listener)

Arguments

trial	an object returned from trial().
listener	an object returned from listener().

Examples

# a minimum, meaningful, and executable example,
# where a randomized trial with two arms is simulated and analyzed.

control <- arm(name = 'control arm')
active <- arm(name = 'active arm')

pfs_in_control <- endpoint(name = 'PFS', type = 'tte',
                           generator = rexp, rate = log(2) / 5)
control$add_endpoints(pfs_in_control)

pfs_in_active <- endpoint(name = 'PFS', type = 'tte',
                          generator = rexp, rate = log(2) / 6)
active$add_endpoints(pfs_in_active)

accrual_rate <- data.frame(end_time = c(10, Inf),
                           piecewise_rate = c(30, 50))
trial <- trial(name = 'trial',
               n_patients = 1000,
               duration = 40,
               enroller = StaggeredRecruiter,
               accrual_rate = accrual_rate,
               dropout = rweibull, shape = 2, scale = 38)

trial$add_arms(sample_ratio = c(1, 1), control, active)

action_at_final <- function(trial){
  locked_data <- trial$get_locked_data('final analysis')
  fitLogrank(Surv(PFS, PFS_event) ~ arm, placebo = 'control arm',
             data = locked_data, alternative = 'less')
  invisible(NULL)
}

final <- milestone(name = 'final analysis',
                   action = action_at_final,
                   when = calendarTime(time = 40))

listener <- listener()
listener$add_milestones(final)

controller <- controller(trial, listener)
controller$run(n = 1)

TrialSimulator documentation built on Nov. 5, 2025, 7:22 p.m.