Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Surveillance for MET carriers: which scans, and how often | CION Cancer Clinics
If you carry an inherited MET fault, the check that matters is a regular scan of both kidneys, usually MRI, from adult life onwards. Kidney function and blood pressure are checked alongside it. This page explains which scan is used, how often it tends to repeat, what happens when a small tumour appears, and which symptoms should never wait for the next appointment. At CION Cancer Clinics, our oncologists explain what a gene result means for you and your family, and plan the checks that follow.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
The short answer
What checks does a MET carrier need?
The main check is a regular scan of both kidneys, usually MRI, starting in adult life and continuing for good. Simple blood tests of kidney function and a blood pressure reading go alongside it. Nothing else in the body needs extra screening because of the MET fault.
Why scans work so well here
Kidney tumours linked to an inherited MET fault tend to grow slowly and cause no symptoms while they are small. A scan can see them years before they would cause pain or bleeding. That gives time to watch them calmly and plan surgery that keeps as much of the kidney as possible.
A plan made for you, not copied from a leaflet
Guidelines agree on the kidney scans but differ slightly on the starting age and the gap between them. Your team sets both, using your variant and the ages at which relatives were diagnosed. The schedule on this page is the usual shape, not a prescription.
Keep every scan report and disc in one folder. The next radiologist compares each tumour with the last scan.Which plan is yours
Which checks apply to you?
Four situations cover almost everyone who is sent this page.
A carrier with clear scans so far
Kidney scans at a regular interval your team sets, often every year or two, with kidney function and blood pressure checked at the same visit.
Also on the plan
- A written note of when the next scan is due
- An earlier review if symptoms appear
A carrier with small tumours being watched
Scans come closer together, so the team can measure how fast each tumour is growing. A urologist who knows inherited kidney tumours joins the review. Most small tumours are watched rather than removed at once.
After kidney surgery
Scans carry on, because new tumours can form in the part of the kidney that remains and in the other kidney. Kidney function is followed more closely after each operation.
A relative who tested negative
If you were tested for the family fault and do not carry it, you do not need these scans. Your children cannot inherit it from you.
This applies only to a test for the exact family fault, not to a panel that looked for something else.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologist
!
Symptoms that should not wait for your next scan
Do not wait for a scheduled scan if you see blood in your urine, feel a lasting ache in your side or back, notice a lump in your tummy, or lose weight without trying. See your doctor within days and say you carry an inherited MET fault. Go to an emergency department the same day if you pass clots, cannot pass urine, or have severe pain in your side.
Across adult life
How do the checks usually unfold over the years?
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Soon after the result
A counselling visit confirms the result and draws the family tree. A first kidney scan is booked if you are old enough to start, along with a blood test of kidney function.
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The first scan sets the baseline
The radiologist records every spot seen, clear or not. Each later scan is compared against this one, so it matters that it is done well and kept safely.
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Repeat scans while nothing is found
Scans repeat at the gap your team has set. If the same centre and type of scan are used each time, small changes are easier to spot.
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When a small tumour appears
It is usually watched, not removed at once. Scans come closer together for a while so the team can see how quickly it is growing.
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When the largest tumour grows
Many specialists advise surgery once the largest tumour reaches about three centimetres. The usual aim is to remove only the tumours and keep the rest of the kidney working. Scans then carry on as before.
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On your scan report
What do the words on a kidney scan report mean?
- MRI
- A scan that uses a magnet rather than radiation. It is often preferred for lifelong kidney checks for that reason.
- Contrast
- A dye given into a vein during the scan so tumours show up clearly. Tell the team if your kidney function is reduced.
- Solid lesion
- A spot made of tissue rather than fluid. Solid spots are the ones your team watches most closely.
- Cyst
- A fluid-filled pocket. Simple cysts are very common and usually harmless, though papillary tumours can sometimes look like cysts on ultrasound.
- Creatinine
- A blood test that shows how well your kidneys are filtering. It is checked alongside scans, and closely after any surgery.
- Nephron-sparing surgery
- An operation that removes only the tumour and keeps the rest of the kidney. Also called partial nephrectomy.
Commonly believed
Four things carriers tell us, and what is actually true
"An ultrasound every year is enough."
Ultrasound is useful, but it can miss small papillary tumours, which often look much like normal kidney or like a simple cyst. MRI or a contrast scan gives a clearer answer. Ask which scan your team recommends and why.
"Once a tumour is removed, the scans can stop."
The fault is still in every kidney cell, so new tumours can form in either kidney. Scans continue after surgery for the same reason they started.
"A clear scan means I am safe for good."
A clear scan means nothing needs doing now. It does not rule out a tumour forming later, which is why the next scan still matters.
"So many scans will damage my kidneys."
MRI uses no radiation. The contrast dye is safe for most people with normal kidney function, and your team checks a blood test first. If your kidney function is reduced, they will adjust the scan.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot set your schedule. Inherited MET faults are rare, and the advice on when to start and how often to scan comes from a small number of families studied mainly outside India. The evidence for kidney scans is real, but it is thinner than for the checks used in more common conditions.
It cannot read your scan
What a spot on your scan means is a question for the radiologist and urologist looking after you, with the earlier scans in front of them. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Who this does not apply to
This plan is for people with an inherited MET fault found in blood or saliva. If your MET result came from a lung tumour, you do not need kidney scans because of it. Relatives who tested negative for the family fault do not need them either.
Families travelling in from the districts often find it easier to book the scan and the review on the same day.Questions we are asked
Common questions about surveillance for MET carriers
How often will I need a kidney scan?
While nothing is found, many teams repeat the scan every year or two. Once a tumour is being watched, scans usually come closer together for a while. Your team sets the gap, and it can change as your scans change.
At what age should scans start?
Usually in early adult life. Your team may start earlier if a relative was diagnosed young. Children do not normally need kidney scans for an inherited MET fault, because tumours are not expected in childhood.
Why MRI and not CT every time?
You may need scans for decades, and MRI adds no radiation. CT with contrast also shows these tumours well and is sometimes used instead, especially if MRI is hard to arrange. What matters most is using a scan that shows small solid tumours clearly.
What happens if a small tumour is found?
Usually nothing dramatic. It is measured, and the next scan comes sooner. Surgery is planned once the largest tumour reaches the size your urologist sets, and the aim is to remove only the tumours and keep your kidney working.
Can I have my scans nearer home?
Often, yes, as long as the scan is of good quality and the images, not just the written report, reach your specialist. Using the same centre each time makes comparison easier. Keep copies of every disc and report yourself.
Do Aarogyasri or insurance cover these scans?
Cover for scans in people who feel well varies between schemes and policies, and rules change. Cover is often easier once a tumour has been found. Ask the scheme desk or your insurer in writing before booking, so you know what you will pay.
What if I am pregnant when a scan is due?
Tell your team. MRI without contrast dye is often possible in pregnancy, and a routine scan can sometimes wait until after delivery. Any symptom, such as blood in the urine, is still checked promptly.
Do my relatives need scans too?
Only those who carry the family fault. Parents, brothers, sisters and adult children can be tested for it first. Those who test negative can skip the scans. Those who carry it follow the same kind of plan as you.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Genetics of Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Cancer) (PDQ) - Health Professional Version
- MedlinePlus Genetics — Hereditary papillary renal carcinoma
- MedlinePlus Genetics — MET gene
- National Cancer Institute — Renal Cell Cancer Treatment (PDQ) - Patient Version
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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Lost track of when your next kidney scan is due?
Tell us your MET result and when you were last scanned, and we will help you work out what comes next and where. If a scan or a urology review is due, we can help arrange it. One helpline serves every CION centre.