Factors associated with the risk of progression to precursor lesions or cervical cancer in women with negative cytologic findings.

Objective: To evaluate factors associated with progression to cervical cancer or moderate to severe precursor lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 [CIN 2] or higher) in women with negative cervical screening results.

Method: A cohort of 1236 women from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was followed up for 36 months. Hazards ratios (HR) and related 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate factors associated with the development of lesions grade CIN 2 or higher.