Definition

A gene that makes a protein that is involved in sending signals within cells and in cell growth and survival. Mutated (changed) forms of the MET gene may cause abnormal cells to grow and spread in the body. Mutations in the MET gene have been found in an inherited condition called hereditary papillary renal carcinoma (HPRC). Patients with HPRC have an increased risk of a type of kidney cancer called papillary renal carcinoma. MET gene mutations have also been found in liver cancer and head and neck cancer. The MET gene is a type of proto-oncogene and a type of receptor tyrosine kinase gene.