To investigate the promoter methylation status in the p16 gene in primary cervical cancer and to analyze the relationships between the clinicopathologic parameters and the methylation status of p16 gene.

Promoter methylation was evaluated by using a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in 78 cervical cancer tissues and 24 control non-neoplastic cervical tissues. Clinicopathologic parameters were obtained from medical records and the relationships between the discrete variables and the methylation status were evaluated.

The frequency of the promoter methylation of p16 in cervical cancer was 57.0% (45/78). Primary cervical cancer had a significantly higher methylation frequency for p16 gene as compared to a control non-neoplastic cervix (p<0.0001). Higher stage cancers exhibited an increased promoter methylation frequency for p16 (45.6% in stage Ib, 58.3% in stage IIa, 88.2% in stage IIb, and 66.7% in stage IIIb, p=0.0125).

Our results suggest that promoter methylation of p16 is a frequent event in cervical carcinogenesis and has a potential clinical application as markers for cancer progression and prediction of prognosis.