Abstract: Objective To examine the positive rate of cMET gene amplification in primary and lymph nodemetastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore their relationships. MethodsFrom November 2011 to November 2013, 147 cases of primary NSCLC consisting of 71 cases of paired lymph nodemetastatic tumors and 47 cases of normal lung specimens as the control group were collected in General Hospital of Beijing Military Region. The cMET gene copy number was examined by RTPCR and the positive rate of cMET gene amplification among NSCLC population was figured out, thus the consistency of c-MET gene amplification in advanced primary NSCLC and associated lymph nodemetastases and the relationship between cMET gene amplification and clinical data were analyzed. ResultsThe positive rate of cMET gene amplification on primary tumor was 8.84% (13/147). For those 71 paired cases, the positive rate on primary tumor was 8.45% (6/71), with that of lymph nodemetastases 18.31% (13/71). Among the 71 cases, there were 8 cases whose metastases were positive but primary tumors negative and 1 case whose primary tumor was positive but metastases negative. It was of statistical significance between the two groups (McNemar test, χ2=4.274, P=0.039). The positive rate of primary tumors could be predicted by lymph node metastases (κ=0.464, P＜0.001). The sensitivity was 83.3% and the specificity was 87.7%. Positive rate of c-MET amplification was higher in male and smoking patients with lymph node metastases above N2. ConclusioncMET amplification test should be one of the routine genetic testing projects. The amplification on primary tumors is higher than that on lymph nodemetastases, implying that metastases test can pick out more patients with indication. Metastases test can predict the amplification on primary focus, and it is an alternative way to guide the treatment of c-MET target medicine. Moreover, the clinical characteristic can be served as an indicator of positive c-MET amplification.

Key words: Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung, c-MET, Lymphatic metastasis