MET Biomarker

[Deb W]

Hi,

Does anyone have this mutation?  If so, wondering about your treatment plan.  Thanks.

Debbie

[MarieE]

Hi Deb,

I posted on your other thread but wasn't sure if you saw it. My husband had an upper left lobectomy in October. The first scan in January was clear but one last month showed the cancer was back. He had NGS reports from both the original tumor and a recent biopsy of a new tumor. His oncologist also did a blood test to make sure there wasn't anything that could be targeted that might have been missed. All showed MET exon 14 skipping alteration. The original plan was to restart chemo and add immunotherapy. However, given the MET mutation and the fact that the FDA recently approved Tabrecta (along with quality of life concerns), his oncologist thought that would be a better option.

At this point we are waiting to hear back from insurance regarding Tabrecta but in the meantime my husband will be starting radiation (hopefully) next week to help reduce the size of the mass on his chest wall that has grown a lot and become increasingly painful. The doctor also said there are several other MET targeting drugs in the pipeline so hopefully there will be other options if my husband can't tolerate Tabrecta or if it is not effective. His oncologist felt that trying the targeted therapies was a much better option for my husband than going with chemo/immunotherapy at this point.

[Lin wilki]

Deb.   Seems like you have some company here with the MET mutation.  I don’t know much about it. Some say amplification, some day mutation. Is it all the same?

I have HER 2 amplification and have not found anyone here with that cancer driver! I have started my target drug- infusion of Kadcyla. It would be great if I heard from someone else on that med

At least you will have others on your same med (which just got approved)  Good to be able to see how others are doing

Good luck to you guys!

 

 

[MarieE]

3 minutes ago, Lin wilki said:

I don’t know much about it. Some say amplification, some day mutation. Is it all the same?

I've wondered about the terminology myself. On my husband's reports I see the results being called variants as well as an alterations and abnormalities, but also showing a percent of amplification.

[MarieE]

Thanks, Lin. Hope you find others on the same med you are taking. 

[Deb W]

Thanks Lin!

Marie - Really good information, thank you.  I am glad you have found what will work best.  I ended up getting a second opinion after my first chemo treatment.  It turned out that he found the MET mutation.  I moved my care immediately over the the 2nd opinion oncologist. They felt that they didn't want to switch me at that point but to wait until after the 2nd treatment.  I trust that this is right for my circumstance.   I've had discussions with my oncologist about Tabrecta, and based on his feedback and the oncology team, they felt that at this point I should have one more chemo for a 2nd cycle which I now have had. Currently,  I am not a candidate for radiation.  I will be having a CT of my chest and abdomen prior to my next appointment (I've never had to have it of my abdomen and I'm seeing I have to drink that barium...yuck!)  At that time, they will be making a recommendation.

[MarieE]

It's really important to have an oncologist you trust. We are actually with one now that we went to originally for a third opinion. The others never recommended anything other than traditional chemo and immunotherapy and my husband had a really hard time on it after the surgery.

[LouT]

DebW

I'm with MarieE; you need to trust the doctors that make up your medical team.  Please keep us updated as you go through this.  BTW, I had to drink the barium solution back in 2010 and it was terrible.  They had added some flavoring to it which only seemed to make it worse for me although they told me many found it more easy to take.  I hope that's the case for you.

Lou