Artificial Intelligence Enhanced Colposcopy Supports Early Detection of High Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia in HPV Positive Individuals

Cervical cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer related death among women worldwide, with its impact being greater in low and middle income countries [1].In 2022, there were 622,301 new cases of cervical cancer and 348,874 related deaths [2].Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly 16 and 18, account for approximately 95% of cervical cancer cases [3].Other risk factors include smoking, multiple sexual partners and early initiation of sexual activity.HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection that many individuals clear on their own without any form of intervention.However, in a subset of patients, HPV remains in the cervical basal epithelial layers for several years, causing cellular changes that can manifest to premalignant lesions and ultimately progress to carcinoma [4].Given these challenges, researchers are exploring new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) to improve diagnostic accuracy for cervical cancer screening.Despite being largely preventable, cervical cancer screening coverage remains limited in many lowand middle-income countries due to resource constraints and workforce shortages.Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) represents a spectrum of histopathological changes in the squamous