Amplification of the proto-oncogene MET is a frequent (10–20%) molecular abnormality in gastric cancer (Kuniyasu et al, 1992; Nessling et al, 1998; Sakakura et al, 1999), and a MET-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) has been shown to induce apoptosis in gastric cancer cells with MET amplification (Smolen et al, 2006; Okamoto et al, 2010). This evidence concerns the gene MET and gastric cancer.