Querying OncoTree

Introduction

OncoTree is a standardized classification system used in cancer research and clinical practice to categorize different types of cancer based on their tissue of origin, molecular characteristics, and other relevant factors. Developed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), OncoTree provides a hierarchical framework that organizes cancer types into a structured tree-like diagram.

Licensing

OncoTree is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: https://github.com/cBioPortal/oncotree

Setup

library(AnnotationGx)

Querying OncoTree

AnnotationGx provides a set of functions for querying OncoTree to retrieve three types of information: - OncoTree release versions - Main Cancer types - Subtypes of a specific cancer type and their relationships

OncoTree release versions

The getOncotreeVersions function retrieves the available OncoTree release.

getOncotreeVersions()
#>                 api_identifier
#>                         <char>
#>  1:     oncotree_latest_stable
#>  2:        oncotree_2025_10_03
#>  3:        oncotree_2025_04_08
#>  4:       oncotree_development
#>  5: oncotree_candidate_release
#>  6:        oncotree_2021_11_02
#>  7:        oncotree_2020_10_01
#>  8:        oncotree_2020_04_01
#>  9:        oncotree_2020_02_06
#> 10:        oncotree_2020_02_01
#> 11:        oncotree_2019_12_01
#> 12:        oncotree_2019_08_01
#> 13:        oncotree_2019_05_01
#> 14:        oncotree_2019_03_01
#> 15:        oncotree_2019_02_01
#> 16:        oncotree_2018_11_01
#> 17:        oncotree_2018_09_01
#> 18:        oncotree_2018_08_01
#> 19:        oncotree_2018_07_01
#> 20:        oncotree_2018_06_15
#> 21:        oncotree_2018_06_01
#> 22:        oncotree_2018_05_01
#> 23:        oncotree_2018_04_01
#> 24:        oncotree_2018_03_01
#> 25:        oncotree_2018_02_01
#> 26:        oncotree_2018_01_01
#> 27:        oncotree_2017_11_01
#> 28:        oncotree_2017_10_05
#> 29:        oncotree_2017_06_21
#> 30:        oncotree_legacy_1.1
#>                 api_identifier
#>                         <char>
#>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            description
#>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 <char>
#>  1:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                This is the latest approved version for public use.
#>  2:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2025-10-03
#>  3:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2025-04-08
#>  4:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Latest OncoTree under development (subject to <b class=text-danger>change without notice</b>)
#>  5: This version of the OncoTree reflects upcoming changes which have been approved for the next public release of oncotree. It also includes a small number of nodes which will not be included in the next public release (see the news page for more details). The next public release may possibly include additional oncotree nodes, if approved.
#>  6:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2021-11-02
#>  7:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2020-10-01
#>  8:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2020-04-01
#>  9:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2020-02-06
#> 10:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2020-02-01
#> 11:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-12-01
#> 12:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-08-01
#> 13:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-05-01
#> 14:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-03-01
#> 15:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-02-01
#> 16:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-11-01
#> 17:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-09-01
#> 18:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-08-01
#> 19:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-07-01
#> 20:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-06-15
#> 21:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-06-01
#> 22:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-05-01
#> 23:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-04-01
#> 24:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-03-01
#> 25:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-02-01
#> 26:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-01-01
#> 27:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2017-11-01
#> 28:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2017-10-05
#> 29:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2017-06-21
#> 30:                                                                                                                                                                                                                  This is the closest match in TopBraid for the TumorTypes_txt file associated with release 1.1 of OncoTree (approved by committee)
#>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            description
#>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 <char>
#>     release_date visible
#>           <char>  <lgcl>
#>  1:   2025-10-03    TRUE
#>  2:   2025-10-03   FALSE
#>  3:   2025-04-08   FALSE
#>  4:   2021-11-04    TRUE
#>  5:   2021-11-03    TRUE
#>  6:   2021-11-02   FALSE
#>  7:   2020-10-01   FALSE
#>  8:   2020-04-01   FALSE
#>  9:   2020-02-06   FALSE
#> 10:   2020-02-01   FALSE
#> 11:   2019-12-01   FALSE
#> 12:   2019-08-01   FALSE
#> 13:   2019-05-01   FALSE
#> 14:   2019-03-01   FALSE
#> 15:   2019-02-01   FALSE
#> 16:   2018-11-01   FALSE
#> 17:   2018-09-01   FALSE
#> 18:   2018-08-01   FALSE
#> 19:   2018-07-01   FALSE
#> 20:   2018-06-15   FALSE
#> 21:   2018-06-01   FALSE
#> 22:   2018-05-01   FALSE
#> 23:   2018-04-01   FALSE
#> 24:   2018-03-01   FALSE
#> 25:   2018-02-01   FALSE
#> 26:   2018-01-01   FALSE
#> 27:   2017-11-01   FALSE
#> 28:   2017-10-05   FALSE
#> 29:   2017-06-21   FALSE
#> 30:   2016-03-28   FALSE
#>     release_date visible
#>           <char>  <lgcl>

Main Cancer types

The getMainCancerTypes function retrieves the main cancer types in OncoTree.

getOncotreeMainTypes()
#>                                            mainType
#>                                              <char>
#>   1:                         Adenocarcinoma In Situ
#>   2: Adenocarcinoma in Retrorectal Cystic Hamartoma
#>   3:                           Adrenal Gland Cancer
#>   4:                         Adrenocortical Adenoma
#>   5:                       Adrenocortical Carcinoma
#>  ---                                               
#> 116:                                Uterine Sarcoma
#> 117:                                 Vaginal Cancer
#> 118:                               Vulvar Carcinoma
#> 119:                          Vulvar/Vaginal Cancer
#> 120:                                    Wilms Tumor

Subtypes of a specific cancer type

The getCancerSubtypes function retrieves the subtypes of a specific cancer type.

getOncotreeTumorTypes()
#>        code          color                              name
#>      <char>         <char>                            <char>
#>   1: THYMUS         Purple                            Thymus
#>   2:  PENIS           Blue                             Penis
#>   3: UTERUS      PeachPuff                            Uterus
#>   4: PLEURA           Blue                            Pleura
#>   5:  LIVER MediumSeaGreen                             Liver
#>  ---                                                        
#> 893:   ISFN      LimeGreen      In Situ Follicular Neoplasia
#> 894:    DFL      LimeGreen Duodenal-Type Follicular Lymphoma
#> 895:  ISMCL      LimeGreen     In Situ Mantle Cell Neoplasia
#> 896:    ABC      LimeGreen             Activated B-cell Type
#> 897:    GCB      LimeGreen       Germinal Center B-Cell Type
#>                     mainType externalReferences  tissue children   parent
#>                       <char>             <list>  <list>   <char>   <char>
#>   1:           Thymic Cancer           C0040113  C12433   Thymus   TISSUE
#>   2:           Penile Cancer           C0030851  C12409    Penis   TISSUE
#>   3:          Uterine Cancer           C0042149  C12405   Uterus   TISSUE
#>   4:          Pleural Cancer           C0032225  C12469   Pleura   TISSUE
#>   5:            Liver Cancer           C0023884  C12392    Liver   TISSUE
#>  ---                                                                     
#> 893: Mature B-Cell Neoplasms           C4524188 C138181 Lymphoid       FL
#> 894: Mature B-Cell Neoplasms           C4524187 C138185 Lymphoid       FL
#> 895: Mature B-Cell Neoplasms           C4527429 C138191 Lymphoid      MCL
#> 896: Mature B-Cell Neoplasms             [NULL]  [NULL] Lymphoid DLBCLNOS
#> 897: Mature B-Cell Neoplasms          C1333295   C36080 Lymphoid DLBCLNOS
#>      history level revocations precursors
#>       <list> <int>      <list>     <list>
#>   1:             1                       
#>   2:             1                       
#>   3:             1                       
#>   4:             1                       
#>   5:             1                       
#>  ---                                     
#> 893:             6                       
#> 894:             6                       
#> 895:             6                       
#> 896:             6                       
#> 897:             6
sessionInfo()
#> R version 4.6.0 RC (2026-04-17 r89917)
#> Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
#> Running under: Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS
#> 
#> Matrix products: default
#> BLAS:   /home/biocbuild/bbs-3.23-bioc/R/lib/libRblas.so 
#> LAPACK: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/lapack/liblapack.so.3.12.0  LAPACK version 3.12.0
#> 
#> locale:
#>  [1] LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8       LC_NUMERIC=C              
#>  [3] LC_TIME=en_GB              LC_COLLATE=C              
#>  [5] LC_MONETARY=en_US.UTF-8    LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8   
#>  [7] LC_PAPER=en_US.UTF-8       LC_NAME=C                 
#>  [9] LC_ADDRESS=C               LC_TELEPHONE=C            
#> [11] LC_MEASUREMENT=en_US.UTF-8 LC_IDENTIFICATION=C       
#> 
#> time zone: America/New_York
#> tzcode source: system (glibc)
#> 
#> attached base packages:
#> [1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base     
#> 
#> other attached packages:
#> [1] data.table_1.18.2.1 AnnotationGx_0.99.6
#> 
#> loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
#>  [1] crayon_1.5.3    cli_3.6.6       knitr_1.51      rlang_1.2.0    
#>  [5] xfun_0.57       otel_0.2.0      jsonlite_2.0.0  glue_1.8.1     
#>  [9] backports_1.5.1 htmltools_0.5.9 sass_0.4.10     rappdirs_0.3.4 
#> [13] rmarkdown_2.31  evaluate_1.0.5  jquerylib_0.1.4 fastmap_1.2.0  
#> [17] yaml_2.3.12     lifecycle_1.0.5 httr2_1.2.2     memoise_2.0.1  
#> [21] compiler_4.6.0  digest_0.6.39   R6_2.6.1        curl_7.0.0     
#> [25] parallel_4.6.0  magrittr_2.0.5  bslib_0.10.0    checkmate_2.3.4
#> [29] withr_3.0.2     tools_4.6.0     cachem_1.1.0