p16/Ki-67 dual staining as a predictive value for cervical cancer compared to other conventional triage tools: a descriptive literature review

Cervical cancer (CC) poses a significant global health concern, ranking as the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of death among women worldwide. Ecuador bears a substantial burden of CC, with a considerable number of new cases and deaths reported annually. The primary cause of CC is the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that is usually eliminated by cell immunity. However, around 5% of infections persist and can lead to invasive cancer. This literature review assessed the predictive value of p16 and Ki-67 dual staining (DS) as a standalone method or combined with conventional triage methods to improve CC screening programs. A total of 42 relevant articles were analyzed, evaluating the performance of DS in predicting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) of varying severities. DS exhibited a median sensitivity and specificity of 87.7% and 76.7% for detecting CIN2+ and 89.7% and 79.6% for CIN3+. When combined with liquid-based (LB) cytology, DS demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity compared to other screening strategies. This review suggests that p16 and Ki-67 DS alone or in combination with liquid base (LB) could enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of CC screening.