Correlation between recurrence-free survival and overall survival after resection for colorectal liver metastasis

Recurrence-free survival (RFS) has been used as a surrogate endpoint for overall survival (OS) in trials involving patients with resected colorectal liver metastases (CLM). A retrospective study at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY) and a meta-analysis of adjuvant phase 3 clinical trials assessed the correlation between RFS and OS after resection of CLM. Pairwise correlations between RFS and OS were low to moderate. The authors conclude that RFS is an inadequate surrogate endpoint for OS in this setting.