Overall survival

In a medical trial, how long patients live, from any cause, after starting treatment. It's the gold-standard measure of whether a cancer drug truly helps.

Many trials report earlier measures first, such as how long patients go without the cancer coming back. Overall survival takes longer to measure, so it often comes later.

Related terms

  • Hazard ratio: A number from medical trials that compares how often something bad happens, like a cancer coming back, in patients who got a treatment versus those who didn't. A hazard ratio of 0.58 means about 42% lower risk.
  • Phase 3 trial: The last and largest stage of testing a new drug or vaccine in people, usually with hundreds or thousands of patients. Good Phase 3 results are normally needed before regulators approve it.

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