MET overexpression in EGFR L858R mutant treatment-naïve advanced lung adenocarcinoma correlated with poor prognosis: a real-world retrospective study

BackgroundMesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) overexpression has been reported in approximately 50–60% of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small-cell lung cancers. However, the prognostic significance of MET overexpression has not been established in advanced lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) patients with EGFR-sensitive mutations.MethodsA retrospective study was performed on a total of 406 treatment-naïve advanced ADC patients with EGFR mutation detection and MET expression information. EGFR mutations were detected by next‐generation sequencing or amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction. Immuno-histochemistry staining of MET expression was evaluated by H-score and overexpression was defined as an H-score ≥ 200. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed according to MET expression.ResultsAmong the 406 patients, 208 patients had EGFR mutations, including 102 exon 19_del mutations, 94 L858R mutations and 12 other types of mutations. Of 110 patients with concomitant EGFR mutations and MET overexpression, 61 (59.8%) patients had 19_del mutations, 44 (46.8%) patients had L858R mutations and five (41.7%) patients had others. Patients with MET overexpression had a markedly shorter PFS and OS than patients with MET H-score < 200 in the EGFR L858R mutation subgroup (median PFS: 12 versus 26 months, p = 0.001; median OS: 24 versus 32 months, p = 0.038), whereas no significant difference was observed in 19_del mutation subgroup. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that MET overexpression was an independent poor prognostic factor for PFS and OS in patients with the L858R mutations (HR = 3.064, 95% CI 1.705–5.507, p < 0.001; HR = 2.043, 95% CI 1.000–4.172; p = 0.049), rather than 19_del.ConclusionsMET overexpression is a poor prognostic factor for advanced ADC patients with the EGFR L858R mutation.