imaging-data-commons

Find and download public cancer imaging data from the IDC using idc-index.

41|12|Updated Jan 29, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/ImagingDataCommons/idc-claude-skill --skill imaging-data-commons
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: imaging-data-commons
Source: https://github.com/ImagingDataCommons/idc-claude-skill/tree/main
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ImagingDataCommons/idc-claude-skill --skill imaging-data-commons

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill enables researchers and developers to locate and retrieve public cancer imaging data from the IDC using the idc-index toolkit, unifying discovery and download workflows.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Data discovery and filtering: find collections by cancer type, modality, anatomy, and licensing, then assemble download commands.
  • License checks and citations: verify licenses and generate properly formatted citations for attribution.
  • Browser visualization: obtain viewer URLs to preview DICOM studies without local downloads and build reproducible data pipelines.

Quick Start

Install idc-index with pip, then run a minimal end-to-end example:

  • Install: pip install --upgrade idc-index
  • Example: idc download rider_pilot --download-dir ./data

Frequently Asked Questions about imaging-data-commons

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I download public cancer imaging data from the IDC?

You can download public cancer imaging data from the IDC by installing the idc-index Python package via pip and running download commands like 'idc download rider_pilot' to retrieve DICOM datasets directly to your local directory.

What is idc-index used for in imaging data workflows?

The idc-index tool is used for discovering, querying, and downloading public cancer imaging data from the Imaging Data Commons, unifying data discovery and retrieval workflows for radiology and pathology research datasets.

Can I filter IDC imaging collections by cancer type and modality?

Yes, you can filter IDC imaging collections by cancer type, modality, anatomy, and licensing to find specific datasets, then assemble the appropriate download commands to retrieve your selected data.

Does idc-index provide license checks and citations for downloaded data?

Yes, idc-index verifies data licenses and generates properly formatted citations for attribution, ensuring you meet compliance requirements when downloading public cancer imaging data for research and AI workloads.

How can I preview DICOM studies from the IDC without downloading them?

You can obtain browser viewer URLs through idc-index to preview DICOM studies directly in a web browser without performing local downloads, allowing quick visual inspection before committing to a full data download.

Do I need BigQuery to query and download IDC imaging data?

No, BigQuery is optional. The idc-index tool is the primary requirement for querying and downloading IDC imaging data, yielding reproducible results across IDC data versions without needing BigQuery.