Polymorphism at codon 72 of TP53, resulting in either the arginine (Arg) or proline (Pro) form of p53 (R72P), has been associated with the susceptibility to different cancers. To better understand the role of this polymorphism in cervical cancer etiology, we investigated the association between p53 R72P and cervical cancer risk in Chinese women from southern Han. Blood samples from 105 women with cervical cancer and from 140 female blood donors were collected. DNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes was extracted, and the exon 4 of TP53 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and then digested by BstUI. We observed that the Arg/Arg genotype was significantly associated with an increased risk for cervical cancer [odds ratio (OR)=1.465, 95% confidence interval (95%CI)=1.04-2.138, P=0.02]. The relative frequency of each allele was 0.69 for Arg and 0.31 for Pro in patients with cervical cancer, and 0.60 for Arg and 0.40 for Pro in normal controls (P<0.05). Furthermore, we also found that the TP53 R72P polymorphism was not linked to tumor histologic type, histologic grade, lymph node metastases, and tumor size. These findings suggest that the TP53 codon 72 polymorphism may be implicated in cervical carcinogenesis, with the Arg/Arg genotype being associated with an increased susceptibility for this malignancy in the southern Chinese population.