Peripheral Blood Glucocorticoid Receptor α/β (GRα/GRβ) Ratio Predicts Response to Pemetrexed-Based Chemotherapy in Non-Squamous NSCLC: A Prospective Cohort Study

A lower GRα/GRβ ratio in PBMCs was suggestively associated with improved tumor response and PFS in this small, exploratory cohort. However, the limited sample size, lack of an independent validation cohort, reliance on PBMC-derived measurements, potential confounding factors, and absence of multiple comparisons adjustment warrant cautious interpretation. These results should be considered hypothesis-generating, and validation in larger, multicenter, and adequately powered studies-including paired PBMC-tumor analyses-is essential before clinical implementation.