Data & APIs

Status note: API endpoints, authentication rules, schemas, and dataset releases drift. Last source check: 2026-05-22. Verify official documentation before using these examples in production, publications, or regulated workflows.

Welcome to the data and APIs section! Here you'll find access to cancer research databases, genomic data repositories, and programmatic interfaces for building research applications.

What you'll find

• Genomic Databases: DNA sequences, gene expression, mutations
• Clinical Data: Patient outcomes, treatment responses, survival data
• Research APIs: Programmatic access to scientific resources
• Data Formats: Standards for biological data exchange
• Integration Tools: Software for combining multiple data sources

Who is this section for?

• Data scientists working with cancer datasets
• Software developers building research applications
• Bioinformaticians analyzing genomic data
• Researchers looking for data sources
• Students learning data science in biology

Getting Started

Essential Data Sources

1. GDC: Genomic Data Commons (TCGA and more)
2. ICGC‑ARGO: Successor to ICGC (harmonized international data)
3. UCSC Xena: Harmonized cohorts across hubs
4. cBioPortal: Multi‑omics cancer studies
5. TCIA: Cancer Imaging Archive (radiology/pathology)
6. CDA: Cancer Data Aggregator (cross‑commons search)
7. SRA/ENA: Raw sequence archives

First Steps

1. Explore data formats and standards
2. Set up API access and authentication
3. Download sample datasets for testing
4. Build simple queries and filters

Data Types & Formats

Genomic Data

• DNA Sequences: FASTA, FASTQ formats
• Gene Expression: RNA-seq count matrices
• Variants: VCF (Variant Call Format)
• Annotations: GFF, GTF, BED files
• Alignments: SAM, BAM, CRAM formats

Clinical Data

• Patient Demographics: Age, gender, ethnicity
• Diagnosis: Cancer type, stage, grade
• Treatment: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation
• Outcomes: Survival time, recurrence, response
• Biomarkers: Protein levels, genetic mutations

Metadata

• Sample Information: Collection date, processing
• Quality Metrics: Read depth, coverage
• Experimental Design: Batch effects, controls
• Ethics & Consent: IRB approval, data sharing

Available APIs

Cancer Data Aggregator (CDA)

# pip install cdapython
from cdapython import Q
q = Q('Subject').filter(Q('ResearchSubject.primary_diagnosis_site') == 'Breast').select('id','sex','race','vital_status')
results = q.run()
print(len(results))

UCSC Xena

# pip install xenaPython
import xenaPython as xena
hub = "https://tcga.xenahubs.net"
# list datasets
datasets = xena.dataset_list(hub)
# get BRCA HTSeq counts for selected genes
samples = xena.dataset_samples(hub, "TCGA-BRCA.htseq_counts.tsv", None)
expr = xena.dataset_gene_values(hub, "TCGA-BRCA.htseq_counts.tsv", samples, ["TP53","BRCA1","BRCA2"])

cBioPortal

# REST example
curl "https://www.cbioportal.org/api/studies?projection=SUMMARY"

Genomic Data Commons (GDC) API

import requests, json

BASE = "https://api.gdc.cancer.gov"

# Example: list breast primary_site projects with pagination
filters = {
    "op": "in",
    "content": {"field": "primary_site", "value": ["breast"]}
}
params = {
    "filters": json.dumps(filters),
    "format": "json",
    "size": 50
}
resp = requests.get(f"{BASE}/projects", params=params)
resp.raise_for_status()
projects = resp.json()["data"]["hits"]
print(f"Projects: {len(projects)}")

# Example: BAM slicing endpoint (requires auth for controlled data)
# r = requests.post(f"{BASE}/slicing/view/{file_uuid}", headers={"Content-Type":"application/json"}, data=json.dumps({"regions":["chr17:43044295-43125483"]}), stream=True)

NCBI APIs

from Bio import Entrez

# Search PubMed
Entrez.email = "[email protected]"
handle = Entrez.esearch(db="pubmed", term="cancer[Title]")
record = Entrez.read(handle)

UCSC Genome Browser

import pybedtools

# Query genomic regions
bed = pybedtools.BedTool("regions.bed")
genes = bed.intersect("genes.gtf")

Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE)

import pandas as pd

# Load expression data
expression = pd.read_csv("ccle_expression.csv")
metadata = pd.read_csv("ccle_metadata.csv")

Data Download & Storage

Direct Downloads

• FTP servers: Large file transfers
• HTTP downloads: Web-based access
• Cloud storage: AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage
• Torrents: Peer-to-peer sharing

Programmatic Access

• REST APIs: HTTP-based interfaces
• GraphQL: Flexible data queries
• Python clients: Specialized libraries
• R packages: Bioconductor tools

Data Management

• Version control: Track data changes
• Compression: Reduce storage requirements
• Indexing: Fast data retrieval
• Backup: Multiple storage locations

Data Repositories & Formats

Verified Repositories

Repository	URL	API status wording	Last checked
GDC Portal	https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov	Public docs available; controlled data require authorization	2026-05-22
UCSC Xena	https://xena.ucsc.edu	Public hubs available; hub-specific datasets may change	2026-05-22
cBioPortal	https://www.cbioportal.org	Public REST API documented; study availability changes	2026-05-22
Cancer Genome Interpreter	https://www.cancergenomeinterpreter.org	Check current API access and terms before scripting	2026-05-22
TCIA (Imaging)	https://www.cancerimagingarchive.net	Public imaging collections; access terms vary by collection	2026-05-22
CDA	https://cda.readthedocs.io	Cross-commons access layer; source commons may require separate auth	2026-05-22

Data Formats (current)

• Genomic Sequences: FASTA, FASTQ
• Variants: VCF
• Gene Expression: RNA‑seq matrices
• Alignments: SAM, BAM, CRAM
• Annotations: GFF, GTF, BED

Data Quality & Validation

Quality Metrics

• Completeness: Missing data assessment
• Accuracy: Validation against known standards
• Consistency: Cross-reference checks
• Timeliness: Data freshness

Common Issues

• Missing values: Handle appropriately
• Format inconsistencies: Standardize data
• Outliers: Identify and investigate
• Batch effects: Control for technical variation

Data Processing Tools

Python Ecosystem

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import seaborn as sns

# Load and explore data
df = pd.read_csv("cancer_data.csv")
print(df.info())
print(df.describe())

# Basic statistics
plt.figure(figsize=(10, 6))
sns.histplot(data=df, x="age", hue="cancer_type")
plt.show()

R Ecosystem

library(tidyverse)
library(DESeq2)
library(ggplot2)

# Load data
counts <- read.csv("gene_counts.csv")
metadata <- read.csv("sample_info.csv")

# Differential expression
dds <- DESeqDataSetFromMatrix(countData = counts,
                             colData = metadata,
                             design = ~ condition)

Command Line Tools

# Process VCF files
bcftools filter input.vcf -i 'QUAL>30' > filtered.vcf

# Convert file formats
samtools view -b input.sam > output.bam

# Quality control
fastqc sample.fastq.gz

Data Visualization

Static Plots

• Histograms: Distribution analysis
• Scatter plots: Correlation studies
• Box plots: Group comparisons
• Heatmaps: Matrix visualization

Interactive Visualizations

• Plotly: Web-based charts
• Bokeh: Python interactive plots
• D3.js: Custom web visualizations
• Tableau: Business intelligence

Specialized Tools

• IGV: Genomic data browser
• UCSC Browser: Web-based genome viewer
• Circos: Circular plots for genomics
• R2: Cancer genomics platform

Data Access & Ethics

Access & Authentication

• GDC: Open access vs. controlled (dbGaP + NIH login); API tokens for downloads
• CDA: Public endpoints; follows source commons auth for controlled data
• cBioPortal / Xena: Open access for public studies; some hubs may be restricted
• TCIA: Open datasets + registered access for certain collections

Public Datasets

• Open access: No restrictions
• Creative Commons: Attribution required
• Government data: Public domain
• Academic sharing: Research use

Controlled Access

• dbGaP: Genotypes and Phenotypes
• EGA: European Genome Archive
• ICGC: International consortium
• Institutional: Local data sharing

Ethical Considerations

• Patient privacy: HIPAA compliance
• Data consent: Informed permission
• Re-identification: De-anonymization risks
• Commercial use: Licensing restrictions

Advanced Topics

Big Data Technologies

• Apache Spark: Distributed computing
• Hadoop: MapReduce framework
• Dask: Parallel Python computing
• Ray: Distributed AI/ML

Cloud Computing

• AWS Genomics: Specialized services
• Google Cloud: Healthcare APIs
• Azure: Medical data solutions
• DNAnexus: Genomic platform

Real-time Data

• Streaming: Live data feeds
• WebSockets: Real-time updates
• Kafka: Event streaming
• Pub/Sub: Message queuing

Learning Resources

Documentation

• GDC API Getting Started
• CDA Docs
• UCSC Xena
• cBioPortal API
• NCBI E‑utilities

Tutorials

• TCGA Data via GDC
• GDC Data Portal
• Bioconductor Workflows

Communities

• Biostars: Bioinformatics Q&A
• SeqAnswers: Sequencing community
• Reddit r/bioinformatics

Contributing Data

Have data to share? Contribute!

1. Document your dataset thoroughly
2. Provide metadata and descriptions
3. Include usage examples and code
4. Share data quality assessments
5. Update regularly with new versions

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This section provides access to the data you need for cancer research and analysis.