Itziar de Aguirre, Alejandro Salvatierra, Albert Font, Jose Luis Mate, Maria Perez, Monica Botia, Miquel Taron and Rafael Rosell

Catalan Institute of Oncology, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Medical Oncology Service, Ctra Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Background: c-Met mutations play a critical role in the development and progression of primary tumors and metastases. Activation of the HGF/SF-c-Met pathway determines a poor prognosis in non-small-cell and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. Missense mutations of c-Met have been identified in SCLC patients located in the juxtamembrane (JM) and in the Sema domain. To determine the role of the c-Met pathway in SCLC, we have investigated the presence of c-Met mutations in SCLC patients.

Patients and methods: Forty-four tumor tissue samples from SCLC patients were obtained with bronchoscopy before beginning treatment. Analysis of c-Met mutations was performed in exon 2 and exon 14.

Results: Of the 44 patients included in this study, 23 were classifi ed as limited disease and were treated with sequential or concurrent chemotherapy and thoracic radiotherapy. Twenty-one patients with extensive disease received chemotherapy alone, the majority with cisplatin or carboplatin plus etoposide. The median survival was 14 months (95% CI: 9.4 to 18.5 months) and the 2- and 5-year survival rates were 24% and 15%, respectively. Previously identifi ed missense mutations E168D, R988C and T1010I in c-Met were not found in our study. However, novel mutations were identifi ed, including T995I in the juxtamembrane domain (T995I) and a mutation which does not change amino acid in codon 178 in the Sema domain.

Conclusion: In SCLC patients, the presence of mutations in c-Met gene is a rare event. Other genetic alterations involved in the HGF/SF-c-Met pathway should be assessed to defi ne the role of this signaling pathway in SCLC.