Expression of p16 in Neoplastic Squamous Lesions of Cervix – A Descriptive Study

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide, primarily caused by persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. p16 overexpression, detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), is strongly associated with HPV-related high-grade lesions and squamous cell carcinoma.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted over a period of one year. Thirty-nine histopathologically diagnosed cases of cervical squamous neoplastic lesions from cervical biopsy and hysterectomy specimens were included. p16 immunohistochemistry was performed, and expression was evaluated using proportion and intensity scoring; statistical analysis was done using the Fisher's exact test. Result: Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) constituted 56.4%, High grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) 10.3%, and Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) 33.3% of cases. p16 negativity was predominantly seen in LSIL (95.2%), while all except one SCC showed moderate to strong nuclear and cytoplasmic positivity (Proportion Score +3 to +4, Intensity score 2 to 3). HSIL showed intermediate expression. Both proportion and intensity scores were significantly associated with lesion grade (p < 0.0001).Conclusion: p16 overexpression correlates with higher-grade squamous lesions and carcinoma. It is a valuable supplementary biomarker for early diagnosis and grading of cervical squamous neoplasms.