Correlation of cMET expression with clinicopathological features and molecular characteristics and its prognostic value in colorectal cancer patients undergoing next-generation sequencing

doi:10.3877/cma.j.issn.2095-3224.2026.02.004

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective

To investigate the expression of cellular Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition Factor (cMET) in colorectal cancer, its relationship with clinicopathological features and molecular characteristics, and its prognostic value, in order to inform clinical decision-making.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 314 colorectal cancer patients who underwent surgery at the National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College between April 2017 and December 2023 were included. cMET expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry, and genetic alterations in MET and other common genes (BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, TP53, PIK3CA) were analyzed via next-generation sequencing. Clinical data were collected from electronic medical records, and recurrence and survival outcomes were evaluated using SPSS.

Results

Among the 314 patients, 248 had low cMET expression and 66 had high expression. Most patients(78.34%, 246/314) had stage Ⅲ~Ⅳ disease. The median disease-free survival was 11 months, with 292 cases (92.99%) experiencing recurrence or metastasis. cMET expression was associated only with tumor differentiation, and genetic alterations varied by tumor location. Only one case showed low-level MET amplification. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated shorter disease-free survival in stage Ⅳ patients with high cMET expression (χ²=6.224, P=0.013). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed that cMET expression (HR=2.542, P=0.015) and N stage (HR=2.668, P=0.019) were independent risk factors for worse disease-free survival in stage Ⅳ colorectal cancer.

Conclusion

cMET expression can serve as a useful prognostic indicator in stage Ⅳ colorectal cancer, with high cMET expression associated with shorter disease-free survival.

Key words: Colorectal cancer, cMET, Disease-free survival, Prognosis, Next-generation sequencing

Yuxiao Zhang, Yi Pan, Tian Qiu, Shuangmei Zou. Correlation of cMET expression with clinicopathological features and molecular characteristics and its prognostic value in colorectal cancer patients undergoing next-generation sequencing[J]. Chinese Journal of Colorectal Diseases(Electronic Edition), 2026, 15(02): 122-132.

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变量	低表达组（n=248）	高表达组（n=66）	χ²值	P值
性别			0.199	0.656
男性	154（62.10）	39（59.09）
女性	94（37.90）	27（40.91）
年龄（岁）			2.213	0.137
≥60	121（48.79）	39（59.09）
＜60	127（51.21）	27（40.91）
肿瘤部位			2.058	0.357
右半结肠	44（18.11）	14（21.88）
左半结肠	75（30.86）	14（21.88）
直肠	124（51.03）	36（56.25）
肿瘤分化程度			4.161	0.041
低分化	137（60.35）	30（46.15）
中-高分化	90（39.65）	35（53.85）
T分期			-	0.823
1	3（1.24）	0（0.00）
2	16（6.61）	6（9.52）
3	103（42.56）	26（41.27）
4	120（49.59）	31（49.21）
N分期			0.860	0.651
0	52（21.49）	16（25.40）
1	99（40.91）	27（42.86）
2	91（37.60）	20（31.75）
M分期			0.077	0.782
0	208（85.95）	55（87.30）
1	34（14.05）	8（12.70）
治疗方式			1.733	0.188
未行新辅助化疗	192（77.42）	56（84.85）
新辅助化疗后	56（22.58）	10（15.15）
TMB			0.002	0.964
低	225（90.73）	60（90.91）
高	23（9.27）	6（9.09）
MSI状态			0.734	0.392
MSS	236（95.16）	65（98.48）
MSI-H	12（4.84）	1（1.52）
BRAF			0.087	0.769
野生型	234（94.35）	61（92.42）
突变型	14（5.65）	5（7.58）
KRAS			0.991	0.319
野生型	141（56.85）	33（50.00）
突变型	107（43.15）	33（50.00）
TP53			0.020	0.888
野生型	71（30.21）	19（31.15）
突变型	164（69.79）	42（68.85）

变量	低表达组（n=248）	高表达组（n=66）	χ²值	P值
性别			0.199	0.656
男性	154（62.10）	39（59.09）
女性	94（37.90）	27（40.91）
年龄（岁）			2.213	0.137
≥60	121（48.79）	39（59.09）
＜60	127（51.21）	27（40.91）
肿瘤部位			2.058	0.357
右半结肠	44（18.11）	14（21.88）
左半结肠	75（30.86）	14（21.88）
直肠	124（51.03）	36（56.25）
肿瘤分化程度			4.161	0.041
低分化	137（60.35）	30（46.15）
中-高分化	90（39.65）	35（53.85）
T分期			-	0.823
1	3（1.24）	0（0.00）
2	16（6.61）	6（9.52）
3	103（42.56）	26（41.27）
4	120（49.59）	31（49.21）
N分期			0.860	0.651
0	52（21.49）	16（25.40）
1	99（40.91）	27（42.86）
2	91（37.60）	20（31.75）
M分期			0.077	0.782
0	208（85.95）	55（87.30）
1	34（14.05）	8（12.70）
治疗方式			1.733	0.188
未行新辅助化疗	192（77.42）	56（84.85）
新辅助化疗后	56（22.58）	10（15.15）
TMB			0.002	0.964
低	225（90.73）	60（90.91）
高	23（9.27）	6（9.09）
MSI状态			0.734	0.392
MSS	236（95.16）	65（98.48）
MSI-H	12（4.84）	1（1.52）
BRAF			0.087	0.769
野生型	234（94.35）	61（92.42）
突变型	14（5.65）	5（7.58）
KRAS			0.991	0.319
野生型	141（56.85）	33（50.00）
突变型	107（43.15）	33（50.00）
TP53			0.020	0.888
野生型	71（30.21）	19（31.15）
突变型	164（69.79）	42（68.85）

变量	低表达组（n=248）	高表达组（n=66）	χ²值	P值
联合TMB和MSI状态			-	0.329
高TMB且MSI-H	12（4.84）	1（1.52）
高TMB且MSS	11（4.44）	5（7.58）
低TMB且MSS	225（90.73）	60（90.91）
联合KRAS和TP53状态			1.234	0.745
KRAS突变型且TP53突变型	79（33.62）	23（37.70）
KRAS突变型且TP53野生型	23（9.79）	8（13.11）
KRAS野生型且TP53突变型	85（20.43）	19（31.15）
KRAS野生型且TP53野生型	48（20.43）	11（18.03）

变量	低表达组（n=248）	高表达组（n=66）	χ²值	P值
联合TMB和MSI状态			-	0.329
高TMB且MSI-H	12（4.84）	1（1.52）
高TMB且MSS	11（4.44）	5（7.58）
低TMB且MSS	225（90.73）	60（90.91）
联合KRAS和TP53状态			1.234	0.745
KRAS突变型且TP53突变型	79（33.62）	23（37.70）
KRAS突变型且TP53野生型	23（9.79）	8（13.11）
KRAS野生型且TP53突变型	85（20.43）	19（31.15）
KRAS野生型且TP53野生型	48（20.43）	11（18.03）

基因改变	右半结肠（n=58）	左半结肠（n=89）	χ²值	P值
TMB			8.026	0.005
低	47（81.03）	85（95.51）
高	11（18.97）	4（4.49）
MSI状态			1.882	0.170
MSS	52（89.66）	86（96.63）
MSI-H	6（10.34）	3（3.37）
BRAF			10.440	0.001
野生型	50（86.21）	89（100.00）
突变型	8（13.79）	0（0.00）
KRAS			4.661	0.031
野生型	26（44.83）	56（62.92）
突变型	32（55.17）	33（37.08）
PIK3CA			13.840	＜0.001
野生型	42（72.41）	84（94.38）
突变型	16（27.59）	5（5.62）
TP53			3.471	0.062
野生型	24（42.86）	22（27.50）
突变型	32（57.14）	58（72.50）
NRAS			1.000	0.317
野生型	57（98.28）	83（93.26）
突变型	1（1.72）	6（6.74）

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