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The MET gene: what it does and why an inherited fault matters | CION Cancer Clinics
The MET gene makes a switch on the surface of cells that tells them to grow, move and heal. An inherited fault can leave that switch partly stuck on, which raises the chance of small papillary tumours in the kidneys over adult life. This page explains what MET does normally, how a fault leads to tumours, and why inherited MET is different from MET in lung cancer. 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
- What does the MET gene actually do?
- What the MET switch does in a healthy body
- How a stuck MET switch can lead to a kidney tumour
- The words you will meet, in plain language
- How MET differs from most cancer genes
- Four things people tell us, and what is actually true
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about the MET gene
The short answer
What does the MET gene actually do?
The MET gene carries the instructions for a switch on the surface of cells. When the right signal arrives, the switch tells the cell to grow, move or repair itself. An inherited fault can leave that switch partly stuck on, and in the kidneys this can lead to small tumours over adult life.
An accelerator, not a brake
Many genes linked to inherited cancer, such as BRCA1 or MLH1, work like brakes. A fault in them removes a safety check. MET is different. It works more like an accelerator, and an inherited fault presses that accelerator a little when nothing should be pressing it at all.
Why this matters to a family
An inherited MET fault causes a rare condition called hereditary papillary renal carcinoma. Knowing a family carries it means relatives can be tested for the exact fault, and carriers can have their kidneys watched with regular scans.
MET is also talked about in lung cancer. There, the change is usually inside the tumour only and is not inherited. That is covered under targeted therapy.When it works normally
What the MET switch does in a healthy body
The MET protein responds to a single signal, called hepatocyte growth factor. Together they help with several everyday jobs.
Healing wounds
When tissue is damaged, the signal tells nearby cells to divide and move in to close the gap. The switch turns off again once the repair is done.
Building organs before birth
MET helps shape the liver, the placenta and the muscles as a baby develops in the womb. It guides cells to where they need to go.
Helping cells move
MET lets cells loosen their grip on neighbours and travel short distances. That is useful in healing, and harmful if a tumour borrows it.
Keeping growth in check
In a healthy cell the switch is only on when the signal is present. That control is what an inherited fault disturbs.
- Signal present: switch on
- Signal gone: switch off
- Inherited fault: switch partly on regardless
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistFrom fault to tumour
How a stuck MET switch can lead to a kidney tumour
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One faulty copy is inherited
You carry two copies of MET, one from each parent. A carrier is born with one copy that has a small spelling change in the part of the gene that works the switch.
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The switch signals more than it should
The faulty copy sends growth messages even when no signal has arrived. The working copy cannot cancel this out, because the problem is too much signal, not too little.
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Kidney cells are especially sensitive
For reasons not fully understood, cells lining the small tubes of the kidney respond most strongly. This is why the kidney is the main organ affected.
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Extra copies of the faulty gene build up
In many tumours, the cell has gained an extra copy of the chromosome carrying the faulty MET gene. More faulty copies means an even stronger push to grow.
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Small, slow tumours form
Over years, several small tumours may appear, sometimes in both kidneys. They usually grow slowly, which is why regular scans can catch them early.
On your report
The words you will meet, in plain language
- Receptor
- A protein on the cell surface that waits for a particular signal, like a lock waiting for its key. MET is a receptor.
- Hepatocyte growth factor
- The signal that switches MET on. It was first found in the liver, which is where the name comes from.
- Proto-oncogene
- A normal gene that helps cells grow. When it is faulty and stuck on, it can push a cell towards becoming a tumour.
- Gain of function
- A fault that makes a gene do more than it should, rather than less. Inherited MET faults are of this kind.
- Missense variant
- A spelling change that swaps one building block of the protein for another. Most inherited MET faults are missense variants.
- Germline
- Present in every cell from birth, and able to be passed to a child. The opposite is somatic, found only in a tumour.
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Side by side
How MET differs from most cancer genes
Brake genes, such as BRCA1 or MLH1
Accelerator genes, such as MET
The fault stops the gene working
The fault makes the gene work too hard
The second copy must also be lost
One faulty copy already pushes growth
Often affects several organs
Mainly affects the kidneys
Faults are spread across the whole gene
Faults cluster in the part that works the switch
Commonly believed
Four things people tell us, and what is actually true
"MET is a lung cancer gene."
MET changes are well known in lung cancer, but those are found inside the tumour and are not inherited. The inherited form of MET fault is rare and mainly affects the kidneys.
"A faulty gene means the whole kidney is diseased."
The kidney keeps working normally. Tumours form in small spots, which is why surgeons try to remove only the tumour and keep the rest of the kidney.
"Diet or lifestyle caused the fault."
An inherited MET fault is present from birth. Nothing you ate or did caused it, and nothing a parent did caused it either. It is simply passed down.
"If the gene is faulty, a medicine can switch it off for good."
Medicines that block MET exist and have been tested in advanced papillary kidney cancer. They do not correct the inherited fault, and studies in carriers so far are small.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether you carry an inherited MET fault, or what your own risk is. This condition is rare. Most of what is known comes from a small number of families studied abroad, and very little research has been done in Indian families.
It cannot interpret your variant
What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test. Some MET changes are known to cause kidney tumours. Others are listed as uncertain, and an uncertain result should not change your care.
Who this does not apply to
Most people with kidney cancer do not carry an inherited MET fault, and most people do not need this test. It is considered when there are several papillary kidney tumours, tumours in both kidneys, or more than one close relative with papillary kidney cancer.
If your MET result came from a lung tumour, speak to your oncologist. This page is not about that result.Questions we are asked
Common questions about the MET gene
Where is the MET gene found?
MET sits on chromosome seven, and everyone carries two copies of it, one from each parent. It is active in many tissues, including the liver, kidney and skin. A fault matters only when it changes how the switch behaves.
Which cancer is linked to an inherited MET fault?
Mainly papillary kidney cancer, a type named after its finger-like pattern under the microscope. The condition is called hereditary papillary renal carcinoma. Tumours are often several in number and can appear in both kidneys over adult life.
Is MET the same as the MET found in lung cancer?
It is the same gene, but a different situation. In lung cancer, MET changes are usually found only in the tumour and guide the choice of targeted medicines. They are not passed on. An inherited MET fault is in every cell from birth.
How is an inherited MET fault found?
By a blood or saliva test, often as part of a panel of genes linked to inherited kidney cancer. It is usually offered to people with several papillary kidney tumours, or a family history of them. A genetic counsellor arranges it.
Can a parent without kidney cancer pass it on?
Yes. Tumours often appear later in adult life, so a parent may carry the fault and not yet have been diagnosed. Some carriers are never diagnosed at all. Each child of a carrier has a one in two chance of inheriting it.
Can the fault be repaired?
No. An inherited fault cannot be corrected or reversed. What can be done is watching the kidneys closely, so tumours are found while they are small and can be removed while keeping as much kidney as possible.
Is this condition common in India?
It is rare everywhere, and there is very little Indian data. That does not mean it is absent. Families with several papillary kidney tumours, especially at a young age, should be referred for counselling wherever they live.
Who should I talk to about MET?
A genetic counsellor or the oncologist who ordered your test. Bring any kidney scan reports and your family history. Call the CION helpline if you are unsure who to see, and someone will direct you to the right clinic.
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)
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Sources
- MedlinePlus Genetics — MET gene
- MedlinePlus Genetics — Hereditary papillary renal carcinoma
- National Cancer Institute — Genetics of Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Cancer) (PDQ) - Health Professional Version
- Cancer Research UK — Genes and cancer
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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