Molecular alterations and clinical relevance in cervical carcinoma and precursors (Review)

Cervical cancer is one of the most common types of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer‑related deaths in women. The occurrence and development of cervical cancer is a multifactorial and multilevel process, which usually occurs alongside a continuous high‑risk human papillomavirus infection. With further developments in molecular biology and the advancement of sequencing technology, the role of biomarkers in cervical diseases has been gradually recognized. Therefore, it remains a priority to identify key molecular markers that can be used for the screening and triaging of the lesions. In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted in order to identify important markers for cervical diseases. The present review aimed to summarize the molecular alterations and clinical relevance of chromosomal alterations, DNA polymorphisms, the DNA methylation status, histone modifications, and alterations in microRNA and protein expression levels. Accumulating evidence suggests that molecular alterations may reflect the degree and the prognosis of the disease. Although significant progress has been made in the field of cervical cancer research, further samples and experiments are still required to identify crucial molecules.