What is MET?
There are two MET biomarkers that have relevance in lung cancer at this time. MET gene amplification means that there are extra copies of the MET gene in the body which causes uncontrolled cell growth. This is relatively uncommon in lung cancer but MET gene amplification is a predictive biomarker for some patients. That means if you a very high number of copies of the MET gene, you might respond better to a MET targeted therapy.
A specific error in MET called exon 14 skipping has the most implications for lung cancer treatment. Mutations in the MET gene that cause a part of the gene called "exon 14” to be removed (or skipped) can cause uncontrolled cell growth.
Who is most likely to have MET alterations?
MET alterations tend to appear most in adenocarcinoma non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but they can also be seen in squamous NSCLC. About 5% of patients with lung cancer have MET exon 14 skipping. A lower percentage of patients have MET gene amplification.
How do you know if you have a MET alteration?
The best way to detect MET exon 14 skipping is through next-generation sequencing (NGS). This type of comprehensive testing places tissue from a patient’s tumor (gathered from a single biopsy) in a machine that looks for many possible biomarkers at one time. MET gene amplification can also be detected through NGS, but in some cases, a special test called FISH may be used to calculate the number of extra MET copies in cancer cells. For NGS, tissue from a patient’s tumor (gathered from a biopsy) is analyzed to look for many possible biomarkers (including mutations) in many cancer-related genes simultaneously. There may be some situations where a patient can’t undergo the biopsy needed to perform NGS, so a liquid biopsy is recommended instead. A liquid biopsy can look for certain biomarkers in a patient’s blood. Talk to your doctor to make sure one of these tests was performed.
Learn more about the different types of biomarker tests.
What is the course of treatment like for someone with a MET alteration?
The standard of care for first-line treatment of MET exon 14 skipping in lung cancer that has spread is one of the targeted therapy MET inhibitor drugs: capmatinib (Tabrecta) or tepotinib (Tepmetko). Other lines of treatment may include other MET inhibitors being studied in clinical trials, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Some physicians may recommend immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy before the MET inhibitors.
If you have MET gene amplification, you may receive immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Other lines of treatment may include clinical trials of MET inhibitors.
Much is being studied about MET alterations. All patients with lung cancer should talk to their doctors about clinical trials.
Work with your doctor to discuss your goals nd options each time you have to make a treatment decision. The three big questions to ask are:
- What is the goal of this treatment?
- What are the potential side effects?
- What other options do I have?
esearch is happening at a rapid pace and your doctor should be up to date on the recommendations for your specific type of lung cancer. If you don’t feel comfortable with the answers you are receiving, do not hesitate to seek out a second opinion.
Where can I get support?
- Join our free Lung Cancer Survivors online support community on Inspire.
- Request lung cancer patient or caregiver mentor.
- Call our free Lung HelpLine to talk to a healthcare professional.
- Connect with the MET Crusaders Community.
- It is important to work closely with your physicians to help monitor your medication side effects. Ask about connecting with a supportive/palliative care doctor at the beginning of your treatment to help ensure your side effects are well managed.
Lung cancer research can move at a rapid pace. Always speak with your doctor about the most up-to-date treatment guidelines.
Page last updated: September 26, 2024
