Journal of International Obstetrics and Gynecology ›› 2025, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (2): 169-174.doi: 10.12280/gjfckx.20241033

• Research on Gynecological Malignancies: Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Progress of Mendelian Randomization in the Study of the Causal Relationship between Exposure Factors and Cervical Cancer

GUO Jing, ZHANG Mao-xiang, ZHOU Chun-he, LIU Si-ning, LI Hui-yan()   

  1. Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, China (GUO Jing, ZHOU Chun-he, LIU Si-ning, LI Hui-yan); Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China (ZHANG Mao-xiang)
  • Received:2024-11-14 Published:2025-04-15 Online:2025-04-22
  • Contact: LI Hui-yan E-mail:13836131750@163.com

Abstract:

Understanding the potential risk factors is crucial for preventing the occurrence of cervical cancer. Inferring the causality relationships between risk factors and diseases often uses randomized controlled trials and observational studies, but in practice, there are some limitations in both cases. In recent years, Mendelian randomization (MR) has gained attention in cancer research, offering new perspectives for identifying risk factors and exploring potential treatments. MR uses genetic variants as instrumental variables to simulate analysis the relationship between modifiable risk factors and diseases, enabling causal inference in epidemiological studies. This review summarizes the research progress of MR in cervical cancer, summarizes the intrinsic connections between various risk factors and the risk of cervical cancer, and discusses the practice and application of MR analysis in the field of cervical cancer research.

Key words: Uterine cervical neoplasms, Risk factors, Mendelian randomization analysis, Causality, Instrumental variables