Manchester staging system

The Manchester staging system, also known as the TNM classification, is a way doctors determine how advanced a cancer is. It considers three factors: Tumor (T) size and spread, Node (N) involvement indicating spread to nearby lymph nodes, and Metastasis (M), meaning whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Each category has specific criteria, and combining these helps classify the cancer stage from I (early) to IV (advanced). This system helps guide treatment decisions and predict outcomes by providing a standardized way to describe the extent of cancer.