Discover MET | Case Atlas

Explore a collection of NSCLC cases and learn about c-Met protein assessment

c-Met (also known as MET or HGFR) protein expression in NSCLC can be detected via IHC analysis.^1,2

HGFR=hepatocyte growth factor receptor; IHC=immunohistochemistry; NSCLC=non-small cell lung cancer.

The degree of c-Met protein expression is based on the percentage of TCs at a given staining intensity or intensities, which are classified as:^1,2

Negative
Absence of any detectable signal

Weak
Pale tan to light brown staining

Moderate
‍Rich brown staining

Strong
‍Dark brown or black staining

c-Met Protein Expression Staining Patterns

DOWNLOAD THE IHC EVALUATION OF SELECT PROTEIN BIOMARKERS IN METASTATIC NSCLC RESOURCE

IHC=immunohistochemistry; NSCLC=non-small cell lung cancer; TC=tumor cell.

Viewing a case at multiple levels of magnification may be helpful in evaluating relative TC percentages at varying intensity.¹

DOWNLOAD THE DISCOVER MET FOLDABLE TAKEAWAY

This tool has been developed by AbbVie and is for demonstration purposes only. It is not a training tool for c-Met protein expression scoring. Manual assessment of website images was conducted by trained pathologists and subject to interpretation. Images are representative and for illustrative purposes only and not intended for clinical use.

CLICK THE VIEW CASE BUTTON ON THE IMAGE TO EXPLORE WHOLE SLIDE IMAGES FOR EACH CASE IN GREATER DETAIL²

CASE 1

Lung, Transbronchial biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 100% TC

CASE 2

Lung, Transbronchial biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 85% TC

1: 5% TC

3: 10% TC

CASE 3

Lung, Transbronchial biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 100% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 4

Lung, Transbronchial biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 25% TC

2: 15% TC

1: 60% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 5

Lung, Wedge resection

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 20% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 80% TC

CASE 6

Lung, Wedge resection

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 65% TC

2: 10% TC

1: 25% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 7

Lung, Transbronchial biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 10% TC

2: 70% TC

1: 15% TC

3: 5% TC

CASE 8

Lung, Biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 10% TC

1: 90% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 9

Lung, Needle core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 45% TC

1: 50% TC

3: 5% TC

CASE 10

Lung, Biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 5% TC

2: 15% TC

1: 80% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 11

Lung, Lobectomy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 20% TC

1: 10% TC

3: 70% TC

CASE 12

Lung, Core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 100% TC

CASE 13

Lung, Transbronchial biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 50% TC

1: 10% TC

3: 40% TC

CASE 14

Lung, Lobectomy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 5% TC

2: 20% TC

1: 75% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 15

Lung, Core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 80% TC

1: 20% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 16

Lung, Wedge resection

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 100% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 17

Lung, Lobectomy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 55% TC

1: 15% TC

3: 30% TC

CASE 18

Lung, Lobectomy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 100% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 19

Lung, Core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 30% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 70% TC

CASE 20

Lung, Wedge resection

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 15% TC

2: 30% TC

1: 30% TC

3: 25% TC

CASE 21

Lung, Core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 80% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 20% TC

CASE 22

Lung, Core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 90% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 10% TC

CASE 23

Lung, Biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 90% TC

1: 10% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 24

Lung, Wedge resection

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 35% TC

1: 15% TC

3: 50% TC

NSCLC=non-small cell lung cancer; TC=tumor cell; WSI=whole-slide image.

CASE 1

Abdominal wall, Biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 5% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 95% TC

CASE 2

Adrenal gland, Needle core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 5% TC

2: 25% TC

1: 70% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 3

Adrenal gland, Core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 10% TC

1: 5% TC

3: 85% TC

CASE 4

Axillary lymph node, Core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 90% TC

1: 5% TC

3: 5% TC

CASE 5

Brain, Biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 100% TC

CASE 6

Brain, Excision

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 5% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 95% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 7

Brain, Biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 5% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 95% TC

CASE 8

Chest wall, Excision

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 75% TC

1: 25% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 9

Inguinal lymph node, Core biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 90% TC

1: 5% TC

3: 5% TC

CASE 10

Liver, Biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 40% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 60% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 11

Liver, Biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 100% TC

CASE 12

Mediastinal lymph node, FNA cell block

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 100% TC

CASE 13

Mediastinal lymph node, FNA cell block

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 5% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 95% TC

CASE 14

Mediastinal lymph node, Excision

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 10% TC

1: 90% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 15

Mediastinal lymph node, Excision

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 80% TC

1: 20% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 16

Mediastinal lymph node, FNA cell block

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 15% TC

1: 5% TC

3: 80% TC

CASE 17

Mediastinal lymph node, FNA cell block

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 85% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 15% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 18

Pericardium, Pericentesis cell block

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 90% TC

1: 5% TC

3: 5% TC

CASE 19

Pleural fluid, Thoracentesis cell block

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 5% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 95% TC

CASE 20

Pleural fluid, Thoracentesis cell block

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 90% TC

1: 10% TC

3: 0% TC

CASE 21

Supraclavicular lymph node, Core needle biopsy

c-Met | NSCLC | Adenocarcinoma

0: 0% TC

2: 0% TC

1: 0% TC

3: 100% TC

FNA=fine-needle aspiration; NSCLC=non-small cell lung cancer; TC=tumor cell; WSI=whole-slide image.

Relevant Resources

TAP TO DOWNLOAD

IHC Evaluation of Select Protein Biomarkers in Metastatic NSCLC

Discover MET Foldable Takeaway

VIEW FULL RESOURCE LIBRARY

References

1. VENTANA MET (SP44) RxDx Assay Interpretation Guide for Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. 1018336US Rev A. 2025-05-14. 2. Images are provided by Caris Life Sciences. 3. Yin W, Guo M, Tang Z, et al. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14(10):2433. doi:10.3390/cancers14102433. 4. Hartmaier RJ, Markovets AA, Ahn MJ, et al. Cancer Discov. 2023;13(1):98-113. doi:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-22-0586. 5. Xiang C, Lv X, Chen K, et al. Mod Pathol. 2024;37(4):100451. doi:10.1016/j.modpat.2024.100451.

References

VENTANA MET (SP44) RxDx Assay Interpretation Guide for Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. 1018336US Rev A. 2025-05-14.
AbbVie Data on File. REF-138355.
Yin W, Guo M, Tang Z, et al. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14(10):2433. doi:10.3390/cancers14102433.
Hartmaier RJ, Markovets AA, Ahn MJ, et al. Cancer Discov. 2023;13(1):98-113. doi:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-22-0586.
Xiang C, Lv X, Chen K, et al. Mod Pathol. 2024;37(4):100451. doi:10.1016/j.modpat.2024.100451.

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c-Met Protein Expression Staining Patterns^1,3–5

Cell Percentage Evaluated

% is expressed out of ≥100 viable TC.

Staining Intensities Observed

Cellular Component Evaluated

Membrane Staining

General IHC Assessment

TC% can be represented as discrete values, as a range, and/or as inequalities (ie, > or <).

Tumor cell percentage (TC%)

Weak (1+), moderate (2+),and/or strong (3+)

Membrane and/or cytoplasmic

Partial, basolateral, and/or circumferential/complete

Percentage (%) + Staining Intensity (+)

Negative: Absence (0) of detectable staining
Expression:*

TC% at 1+ staining
TC% at 2+ staining
TC% at 3+ staining

Table may not be exhaustive of all evaluations of protein expression by IHC and are subject to differences based on the assay used and means of reporting. Table should not be considered as a replacement for assay-specific interpretation manuals or guides.

*Staining intensity can be represented as discrete values for a given TC%.

IHC=immunohistochemistry; TC=tumor cell.

c-Met Protein Expression Staining Patterns^1,3–5

Cell Percentage Evaluated

% is expressed out of ≥100 viable TC.

Tumor cell percentage (TC%)

Staining Intensities Observed

Weak (1+), moderate (2+),and/or strong (3+)

Cellular Component Evaluated

Membrane and/or cytoplasmic

Membrane Staining

Partial, basolateral, and/or circumferential/complete

General IHC Assessment

TC% can be represented as discrete values, as a range, and/or as inequalities (ie, > or <).

Percentage (%) + Staining Intensity (+)

Negative: Absence (0) of detectable staining
Expression:*

TC% at 1+ staining
TC% at 2+ staining
TC% at 3+ staining

Table may not be exhaustive of all evaluations of protein expression by IHC and are subject to differences based on the assay used and means of reporting. Table should not be considered as a replacement for assay-specific interpretation manuals or guides.

*Staining intensity can be represented as discrete values for a given TC%.

IHC=immunohistochemistry; TC=tumor cell.