The ratio of GAPDH to mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I (GAPDH/MT-CO1) and the ratio of mitochondrial metabolism transcriptional coactivator to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (PGC)-1 alpha have been considered as biomarkers for the Warburg effect for evaluating relative drug usage benefits in stage-III NSCLC patients (Cruz-Bermúdez et al., 2017). This evidence concerns the gene PPARGC1A and non-small cell lung carcinoma.