Work

High-risk factors associated with persistence and progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 in women of reproductive age undergoing conservative management: a retrospective analysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the high-risk factors associated with the persistence or progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 (CIN2) to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (CIN3) in women of childbearing age undergoing conservative management, thereby providing guidance for selecting appropriate treatment strategies for women with CIN2 who wish to preserve their fertility. Methods: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed using the clinical and pathological characteristics of the included patients to identify high-risk factors associated with the persistence or progression of CIN2. Results: In total, 226 patients were included in this study. Of these, 142 (62.8%) experienced lesion regression, 58 (25.7%) had persistent CIN2, and 26 (11.5%) progressed to CIN3. Univariate analysis indicated that age, high- squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), human papillomavirus type 16/18 (HPV16/18) positivity, and P16/Ki-67 positivity were associated with persistence of CIN2 or progression to CIN3. Multivariate analysis revealed that age of >35 years (OR 2.732, 95% CI 1.350-5.529), HPV16/18 positivity (OR 1.506, 95% CI 1.129-17.611), HSIL (OR 4.693, 95% CI 3.554-19.211), and P16/Ki-67 positivity (OR 4.007, 95% CI 2.819-6.014) were associated with persistence or progression of CIN2. Conclusion: Age of >35 years, HPV16/18 positivity, HSIL, and P16/Ki-67 positivity are associated with persistence and progression of CIN2. Conservative management with outpatient follow-up is an appropriate treatment option for carefully selected patients without these high-risk factors.

Source: Frontiers in Public Health

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1961644