Background and purpose:The risk of recurrence for colorectal cancer after curative surgery is up to 30%-40%. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between time to relapse (TTR) of colorectal cancer with clinical pathological parameters and overall survival after recurrence. Methods:We carried out the analysis of clinical data, pathological examination and follow up information of 375 colorectal cancer patients who admitted to Liaoning Cancer Hospital. Patients were categorized into relapse at<2, 2-5 and>5 years following their initial surgery. Results:TTR was associated with the clinical stage at diagnosis and liver or lung metastasis status. Short TTR (<2 years) was positively associated with survival. However, there was no significant difference in survival between patients who relapsed at 5 years or later compared with those who relapsed between 2 and 5 years. Conclusion:TTR within 2 years is an important predictor of shorter survival for colorectal cancer patients who experienced a relapse.