The METs medical abbreviation usually means metastases, cancer that has spread from where it started to another part of the body, so liver mets means cancer that has spread to the liver. On an exercise stress test, the same letters mean something entirely different: metabolic equivalents, a measure of how hard the body worked.
MET also names a gene tested in some lung cancers and, in some hospitals outside the United States, a medical emergency team. So what is the MET medical abbreviation in any one report? The setting answers it. Each meaning gets a decoded example here, along with a look at why MET is not a standard prescription or pharmacy abbreviation.
At a glance
Stands for
Metastasis or metastases (cancer); metabolic equivalent (exercise)Other meanings
MET gene (cancer genetics); medical emergency teamWritten as
met, mets, METs, METWhere you see it
Imaging and oncology notes, stress test reports, tumor testingOne MET equals
The energy used sitting quietly at restDo not confuse with
Metformin or metoprolol, which should be written out in fullSpecialty
Oncology, radiology, cardiology
METs medical abbreviation in cancer notes
In oncology and radiology, met is short for metastasis and mets for metastases. A metastasis is a tumor that has grown in a new place after cancer cells traveled from the original, or primary, tumor through the blood or lymph system. The new tumor is still the same type of cancer, so breast cancer that spreads to bone is called breast cancer with bone mets, not bone cancer.
When people search for the mets medical abbreviation for cancer, this is almost always the meaning they need. Notes usually name the site: brain mets, liver mets, lung mets or osseous mets, where osseous means bone. Writers also use the adjective metastatic, as in metastatic disease, and CA for cancer.
Reading a scan report with mets
| Piece | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CT C/A/P | Computed tomography covering chest, abdomen and pelvis |
| multiple liver mets | Several spots in the liver consistent with spread of cancer |
| no new osseous METs | No new spread to the bones compared with the prior scan |
| stable | Unchanged in size since the last scan |
In an oncology note: "Stage IV NSCLC with brain mets s/p SRS." This means lung cancer that has spread to the brain, treated with focused radiation called stereotactic radiosurgery. NSCLC is non-small cell lung cancer.
METs on an exercise stress test
In cardiology and exercise testing, a MET is a metabolic equivalent of task. One MET is the energy the body uses sitting quietly at rest, often given as about 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight each minute. An activity rated at 4 METs uses about four times the energy of resting.
Stress test reports list the peak METs reached, which reflects fitness and heart capacity. Before surgery, doctors may ask whether a person can manage about 4 METs, roughly climbing a flight of stairs or walking up a hill, as a rough guide to how well they can handle the stress of an operation. Labs and clinics interpret the numbers in light of age and sex.
On a stress test report: "Treadmill protocol, 9:00 min, 10.1 METs achieved, no ischemic changes." The person exercised for nine minutes, reached about ten times resting energy use, and the heart tracing showed no signs of reduced blood flow.
The MET gene and medical emergency teams
In cancer genetics, MET is the name of a gene that makes a receptor on cell surfaces. Changes such as MET exon 14 skipping or MET amplification can drive some lung cancers, and tumor testing reports list them because targeted medicines exist for these changes. Here MET is a gene symbol, so it is written in capitals and often italicized.
In some hospitals, especially in Australia and parts of Europe, a MET call summons the medical emergency team, a group that responds when a patient's vital signs worsen. In the United States, a similar team is usually called a rapid response team, or RRT. MET used as a medical acronym in a hospital incident note usually means that team.
Is MET a prescription or pharmacy abbreviation?
MET is not a standard prescription abbreviation, and pharmacists do not use MET as accepted shorthand for any directions. Someone who sees met on a handwritten medication list may be looking at an informal short form for a drug such as metformin, metoprolol or methadone, which are very different medicines. The ISMP error-prone list includes shortened drug names for this very reason, so any unclear entry should be clarified rather than guessed.
Cancer and heart terms are only part of the diagnosis abbreviation library here.
What to ask about a report that mentions MET
- In my report, does mets refer to cancer spread, or is this a stress test result?
- Which sites are involved, and how do they compare with my last scan?
- What did my peak METs on the stress test mean for my fitness or surgery plan?
- Was my tumor tested for MET or other gene changes?
Results that mention metastases or METs are best explained by the clinician who ordered them. Your oncologist, cardiologist or primary care doctor can tell you what the report means for you.
Frequently asked questions
What does mets mean in cancer?
In cancer care, mets means metastases, places where cancer has spread from its original site. Liver mets, for example, means cancer that has spread to the liver.
What does METs mean on a stress test?
On a stress test, METs means metabolic equivalents, a measure of how much energy you used compared with resting. A higher number generally means better exercise capacity.
What is the MET medical abbreviation on a gene test?
On a tumor gene report, MET is the name of a gene. Changes such as MET exon 14 skipping can drive some lung cancers and may be matched with targeted treatment.
Is MET a pharmacy abbreviation for metformin?
No, MET is not an accepted pharmacy abbreviation. Drug names should be written out in full, because short forms like met could be read as metformin, metoprolol or methadone.
Is a met the same as a new cancer?
No. A metastasis is the same cancer that has spread to a new place, not a separate new cancer. It is named after the original site, such as colon cancer with liver mets.