Query and download public cancer imaging data from NCI Imaging Data Commons using idc-index. Use for accessing large-scale radiology (CT, MR, PET) and pathology datasets for AI training or research. No authentication required. Query by metadata, visualize in browser, check licenses.
Use the idc-index Python package to query and download public cancer imaging data from the National Cancer Institute Imaging Data Commons (IDC). No authentication required for data access.
Current IDC Data Version: v23 (always verify with IDCClient().get_idc_version())
Primary tool: idc-index (GitHub)
CRITICAL - Check package version and upgrade if needed (run this FIRST):
import idc_index
REQUIRED_VERSION = "0.11.10" # Must match metadata.idc-index in this file
installed = idc_index.__version__
if installed < REQUIRED_VERSION:
print(f"Upgrading idc-index from {installed} to {REQUIRED_VERSION}...")
import subprocess
subprocess.run(["pip3", "install", "--upgrade", "--break-system-packages", "idc-index"], check=True)
print("Upgrade complete. Restart Python to use new version.")