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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 the National Cancer Institute (NCI) within the United States, OncoTree provides a hierarchical framework that organizes cancer types into a structured tree-like diagram.

  • provides a standardized classification system for categorizing different types of cancer based on their tissue of origin, molecular characteristics, and other relevant factors.
  • provides a hierarchical framework that organizes cancer types into a structured tree-like diagram.
  • useful for ensuring consistency in how cancer types are classified and reported across different studies and clinical settings.

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_2018_11_01
#>  2:        oncotree_2017_06_21
#>  3:        oncotree_2018_07_01
#>  4:        oncotree_2019_02_01
#>  5:        oncotree_2025_10_03
#>  6:        oncotree_2020_04_01
#>  7:        oncotree_2018_04_01
#>  8:       oncotree_development
#>  9:        oncotree_2019_08_01
#> 10:        oncotree_2025_04_08
#> 11:        oncotree_2018_03_01
#> 12:        oncotree_2019_05_01
#> 13:        oncotree_2021_11_02
#> 14:        oncotree_2020_02_06
#> 15: oncotree_candidate_release
#> 16:        oncotree_2017_11_01
#> 17:        oncotree_legacy_1.1
#> 18:        oncotree_2019_03_01
#> 19:        oncotree_2019_12_01
#> 20:        oncotree_2020_10_01
#> 21:        oncotree_2018_06_01
#> 22:        oncotree_2018_06_15
#> 23:     oncotree_latest_stable
#> 24:        oncotree_2017_10_05
#> 25:        oncotree_2018_05_01
#> 26:        oncotree_2020_02_01
#> 27:        oncotree_2018_02_01
#> 28:        oncotree_2018_09_01
#> 29:        oncotree_2018_01_01
#> 30:        oncotree_2018_08_01
#>                 api_identifier
#>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            description
#>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 <char>
#>  1:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-11-01
#>  2:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2017-06-21
#>  3:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-07-01
#>  4:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-02-01
#>  5:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2025-10-03
#>  6:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2020-04-01
#>  7:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-04-01
#>  8:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Latest OncoTree under development (subject to <b class=text-danger>change without notice</b>)
#>  9:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-08-01
#> 10:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2025-04-08
#> 11:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-03-01
#> 12:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-05-01
#> 13:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2021-11-02
#> 14:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2020-02-06
#> 15: 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.
#> 16:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2017-11-01
#> 17:                                                                                                                                                                                                                  This is the closest match in TopBraid for the TumorTypes_txt file associated with release 1.1 of OncoTree (approved by committee)
#> 18:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-03-01
#> 19:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2019-12-01
#> 20:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2020-10-01
#> 21:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-06-01
#> 22:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-06-15
#> 23:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                This is the latest approved version for public use.
#> 24:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2017-10-05
#> 25:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-05-01
#> 26:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2020-02-01
#> 27:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-02-01
#> 28:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-09-01
#> 29:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-01-01
#> 30:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Stable OncoTree released on date 2018-08-01
#>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            description
#>     release_date visible
#>           <char>  <lgcl>
#>  1:   2018-11-01   FALSE
#>  2:   2017-06-21   FALSE
#>  3:   2018-07-01   FALSE
#>  4:   2019-02-01   FALSE
#>  5:   2025-10-03   FALSE
#>  6:   2020-04-01   FALSE
#>  7:   2018-04-01   FALSE
#>  8:   2021-11-04    TRUE
#>  9:   2019-08-01   FALSE
#> 10:   2025-04-08   FALSE
#> 11:   2018-03-01   FALSE
#> 12:   2019-05-01   FALSE
#> 13:   2021-11-02   FALSE
#> 14:   2020-02-06   FALSE
#> 15:   2021-11-03    TRUE
#> 16:   2017-11-01   FALSE
#> 17:   2016-03-28   FALSE
#> 18:   2019-03-01   FALSE
#> 19:   2019-12-01   FALSE
#> 20:   2020-10-01   FALSE
#> 21:   2018-06-01   FALSE
#> 22:   2018-06-15   FALSE
#> 23:   2025-10-03    TRUE
#> 24:   2017-10-05   FALSE
#> 25:   2018-05-01   FALSE
#> 26:   2020-02-01   FALSE
#> 27:   2018-02-01   FALSE
#> 28:   2018-09-01   FALSE
#> 29:   2018-01-01   FALSE
#> 30:   2018-08-01   FALSE
#>     release_date visible

Main Cancer types

The getMainCancerTypes function retrieves the main cancer types in OncoTree.

getOncotreeMainTypes()
#>                        mainType
#>                          <char>
#>   1:         Endometrial Cancer
#>   2:     Neoplastic Vs Reactive
#>   3:               Melanocytoma
#>   4:          Colorectal Cancer
#>   5:  Peripheral Nervous System
#>  ---                           
#> 116:                     Glioma
#> 117:       Biliary Tract Cancer
#> 118:            Prostate Cancer
#> 119:                Wilms Tumor
#> 120: Renal Neuroendocrine Tumor

Subtypes of a specific cancer type

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

getOncotreeTumorTypes()
#>         code          color
#>       <char>         <char>
#>   1:     ASM    LightSalmon
#>   2:    INTS    LightYellow
#>   3:   HPHSC        DarkRed
#>   4:    TAML    LightSalmon
#>   5: BRCANOS        HotPink
#>  ---                       
#> 894:   ASTR4           Gray
#> 895:    PTCY           Gray
#> 896:     IMT    LightYellow
#> 897: HCCIHCH MediumSeaGreen
#> 898:   CEGCC           Teal
#>                                                               name
#>                                                             <char>
#>   1:                              Aggressive Systemic Mastocytosis
#>   2:                                               Intimal Sarcoma
#>   3:                           Hypopharynx Squamous Cell Carcinoma
#>   4:                        Therapy-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia
#>   5:                                   Breast Invasive Cancer, NOS
#>  ---                                                              
#> 894:                              Astrocytoma, IDH-Mutant, Grade 4
#> 895:                                                   Pituicytoma
#> 896:                            Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor
#> 897: Hepatocellular Carcinoma plus Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
#> 898:                           Glassy Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix
#>                                               mainType externalReferences
#>                                                 <char>             <list>
#>   1:                                      Mastocytosis           C1112486
#>   2:                               Soft Tissue Sarcoma           C1708550
#>   3:                              Head and Neck Cancer           C0280321
#>   4:                                          Leukemia           C1336735
#>   5:                                     Breast Cancer             [NULL]
#>  ---                                                                     
#> 894: Gliomas, Glioneuronal Tumors, and Neuronal Tumors             [NULL]
#> 895:                                      Sellar Tumor           C2986550
#> 896:                               Soft Tissue Sarcoma           C0334121
#> 897:                              Hepatobiliary Cancer           C0221287
#> 898:                                   Cervical Cancer           C1516407
#>      tissue      children      parent history level revocations precursors
#>      <list>        <char>      <char>  <list> <int>      <list>     <list>
#>   1:  C9285       Myeloid          SM             5                       
#>   2: C53677   Soft Tissue SOFT_TISSUE             2                       
#>   3:  C4043 Head and Neck        HNSC             3                       
#>   4:  C8252       Myeloid         TMN             5                       
#>   5: [NULL]        Breast        BRCA             3                       
#>  ---                                                                      
#> 894: [NULL]     CNS/Brain        ASTR             5                       
#> 895: C94524     CNS/Brain        SELT             3                       
#> 896:  C6481   Soft Tissue SOFT_TISSUE             2                       
#> 897:  C3828         Liver       LIVER             2                       
#> 898: C40212        Cervix      CERVIX             2