You have full access to this open access article. Small molecule mesenchymal-epithelial transition MET inhibitors, such as crizotinib, capmatinib, and tepotinib, are treatment options for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC in adult patients whose tumors have a mutation that leads to MET exon 14 skipping.
In clinical trials, these MET inhibitors were associated with a high incidence of peripheral edema, although this was generally mild-to-moderate in severity.
There is limited information about the mechanism involved in MET inhibitor-induced peripheral edema. Another potential mechanism is through effects on renal function, although this is unlikely to be the primary mechanism.
Because edema is common in cancer patients and may not necessarily be caused by the cancer treatment, or other conditions that have similar symptoms to peripheral edema, a thorough assessment is required to ascertain the underlying cause. Before starting MET-inhibitor therapy, patients should be educated about the possibility of developing peripheral edema.
Patient limb volume should be measured before initiating treatment, to aid assessment if symptoms develop. Although not usually required, discontinuation of MET inhibitor treatment generally resolves peripheral edema.
