Treatment of moderate pre-cancerous cervical cells may be safely delayed without raising cancer risk, trial finds

MedicalXpress | Jun 22, 2026

A target trial emulation study found that among women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 2 (CIN 2), a moderate form of precancerous cervical dysplasia, excision within six months did not lower three-year cervical cancer risk compared with continued surveillance. Delaying treatment substantially reduced unnecessary cervical excisions. These observations suggest that it may be safe to delay treatment of CIN 2, especially lower-risk CIN 2. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.