Pathogenic variants (disease-causing) the MET gene causes Hereditary Papillary Renal Cancer (HPRC), a condition that raises the risk for type 1 papillary kidney cancer. Overall, 90% of individuals with a pathogenic variant in MET will develop multiple kidney polyps, cysts, or ultimately cancer. Typically, individuals are diagnosed with HPRCC around 50 years of age, or after and are at risk of developing multiple tumors or tumors in both kidneys. Management of MET–related tumor risk includes regular surveillance tailored to guidelines to detect tumors early. MET variants are not known to be more common in the Ashkenazi Jewish population.
Pathogenic variants in MET exhibit autosomal dominant inheritance. This means there is a 50% chance the condition can be passed from generation-to-generation. First degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) have a 50% chance to have the same pathogenic variant whereas second degree relatives (grandparents, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews, half-siblings) have a 25% chance. More distant relatives have lower chances of having the same pathogenic variant when one is identified in the family.
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Written December 2025
