To analyze the expression of c-MET and its prognostic correlation in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

The clinical data and pathological specimen of patients with lung adenocarcinoma in Dalian 5th People′s Hospital from January 2006 to December 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. The expression difference of c-MET between lung adenocarcinoma tissue and normal adjacent tissues was compared. The correlation of c-MET with the pathology and clinical factors was also analyzed.

A total of 82 patients were retrospective analyzed, including 82 pathological specimens of lung adenocarcinoma and 45 specimens of normal adjacent tissues. Among 53 patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ lung adenocarcinoma, 31 cases had low expression of c-MET and 22 cases had high expression of c-MET. Among 29 patients with stage Ⅲ lung adenocarcinoma, 10 cases had low expression of c-MET and 19 cases had high expression of c-MET. There was a correlation between TNM stage and c-MET positive expression in lung adenocarcinoma (P=0.037). The positive expression rate of c-MET was not significantly correlated with age, sex and differentiation degree (P > 0.05). Among 82 cases of lung adenocarcinoma, 39 cases had low expression of c-MET and 43 cases had high expression of c-MET; 45 cases of para-carcinoma tissuehad low expression of c-MET. The positive expression rate of c-MET in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that in para-carcinoma tissue (P < 0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that the median disease-free survival was 41.5 months in c-MET high-expression group and 55.3 months in low-expression group. The expression level of c-MET was closely related to disease-free survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients (P < 0.05).

The expression of c-MET is significantly increased in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The expression level has relevance with TNM staging and prognosis.

Adenocarcinoma, bronchiolo-alveolar; c-MET; Disease-free survival; Prognosis