Q (sonnet-5.5):
I'm interested in IDH1 in lower grade glioma. What can we look at?
In Brain Lower Grade Glioma (TCGA, PanCancer Atlas), IDH1 is mutated in most tumors. A few directions:
1. Compare overall survival of IDH1-mutant vs IDH1-wild-type patients
2. See which genes are co-mutated with IDH1 (e.g. TP53, ATRX, CIC)
3. Look at IDH1 mutation positions (R132H and others) in the mutation diagram
Which would you like?
Continue this conversation: reply to the user's new message.
option 1 please
▶ read_guide
{
"uri": "cbioportal://statistical-tests-guide"
}
▶ read_guide
{
"uri": "cbioportal://clinical-data-guide"
}
◀ result
Statistical Test Selection Guide
================================
Purpose
-------
This guide ensures the correct statistical test is selected before performing any group comparison, matching cBioPortal's own Group Comparison defaults.
HARD RULES — NEVER FABRICATE A STATISTIC
----------------------------------------
ClickHouse cannot run statistical tests. The agent therefore must NEVER produce a derived statistic that is not a literal column value from a SQL result. Specifically:
1. **Never invent a p-value.** Not "p < 0.001", not "p ≈ 0.05", not any p-value. If the user asks "what is the p-value?", the answer is *"I can't compute that — here is the 2x2 contingency table (or group statistics). Run it in cBioPortal's Group Comparison tab, in R with `fisher.test(...)` / `wilcox.test(...)`, or in Python with `scipy.stats.fisher_exact(...)` / `mannwhitneyu(...)`."*
2. **Never claim mutual exclusivity (or co-occurrence) from a contingency table alone.** A 2x2 table is not a test. The shape "altered/not altered × group A/group B" needs Fisher's exact + a defined direction (odds ratio < 1 with significant p). Without that test, the agent presents the table and stops. Descriptive phrasing is also a claim: "largely/mostly mutually exclusive", "rarely co-occur", "tend to co-occur" are forbidden without the test — point to cBioPortal's Mutual Exclusivity tab instead.
3. **Never report a "median" that came from `AVG(...)` or any non-median aggregate.** "Median" and "mean" are different statistics; for skewed clinical distributions (especially survival) they differ substantially. Use ClickHouse's `quantile(0.5)(...)` for actual median, and label arithmetic averages as "mean", never "median".
4. **Never report a hazard ratio, odds ratio, risk ratio, or relative risk** that wasn't computed by an external tool. These require regression / model fitting that ClickHouse does not do.
5. **Never report median overall survival from `AVG(OS_MONTHS)` or even `quantile(0.5)(OS_MONTHS)`.** Median OS requires Kaplan-Meier estimation, which handles censoring (`OS_STATUS = 0:LIVING` means the event hasn't happened yet). Naive medians/means over `OS_MONTHS` ignore censoring and are systematically wrong. The correct handoff: return the raw `(OS_MONTHS, OS_STATUS)` pairs (or descriptive counts: N events, N censored, follow-up range) and tell the user to run KM in R (`survival::survfit`) or Python (`lifelines.KaplanMeierFitter`), or use cBioPortal's Survival comparison.
If asked to do any of (1)–(5), respond with the appropriate handoff template from the "Approved Response Templates" section below — do not produce the number.
Ambiguous-Term Clarification (before any analysis)
--------------------------------------------------
If the user's question uses an ambiguous term, ask before computing anything. Examples:
- **"aggressive"** → could mean shorter overall survival, higher metastasis rate, higher grade/stage, higher TMB, or specific molecular features. Ask which definit … (9984 more chars)
◀ result
# Clinical Data Query Guide
## Overview
Clinical data in cBioPortal is stored at both patient and sample levels. Understanding the distinction is crucial for accurate analysis.
## Data Organization
### Patient-Level vs Sample-Level Data
- **Patient-level**: Demographics, overall survival, disease stage (stored once per patient)
- **Sample-level**: Sample type, sequencing platform, purity (can have multiple per patient)
### Key Tables
- `clinical_patient`: Patient-level clinical attributes
- `clinical_sample`: Sample-level clinical attributes
- `clinical_data_derived`: Pre-joined view combining both levels
- `clinical_attribute_meta`: Metadata about available clinical attributes
## Recommended Approach: Use clinical_data_derived
The `clinical_data_derived` table is pre-joined and optimized for most queries:
```sql
-- Get clinical data for specific attributes
SELECT
sample_unique_id,
patient_unique_id,
attribute_name,
attribute_value
FROM clinical_data_derived
WHERE
cancer_study_identifier = 'your_study_id'
AND attribute_name IN ('CANCER_TYPE', 'SAMPLE_TYPE', 'TMB_NONSYNONYMOUS');
```
## Clinical Attribute Discovery
### Use clinical_attribute_meta for Discovering Available Attributes
**Always start here** to see what clinical attributes are available for a specific study:
```sql
-- Discover available clinical attributes for a study
SELECT
attr_id,
description,
patient_attribute,
cancer_study_id
FROM clinical_attribute_meta
WHERE
cancer_study_id = (
SELECT cancer_study_id
FROM cancer_study
WHERE cancer_study_identifier = 'your_study_id'
)
ORDER BY patient_attribute, attr_id;
```
**Key Fields:**
- **attr_id**: matches attr_id in clinical_sample/clinical_patient tables
- **description**: human-readable description of the attribute
- **patient_attribute**: true = patient attribute, false = sample attribute
- **cancer_study_id**: links to cancer_study table (filter by study)
## Attribute Semantics and Matching
### Case-Insensitive Matching for Attribute Values
Clinical values are free text across studies and may differ only by case. For example, a controlled-looking value such as germline mutation status may appear as `GERMLINE`, `Germline`, or another case variant.
When filtering `clinical_data_derived.attribute_value`, use case-insensitive matching unless you have already profiled the exact values in the target study:
```sql
-- Correct: case-insensitive clinical value filter
SELECT DISTINCT sample_unique_id, patient_unique_id
FROM clinical_data_derived
WHERE cancer_study_identifier = 'your_study_id'
AND attribute_name = 'MUTATION_STATUS'
AND upper(attribute_value) = 'GERMLINE';
```
Do not write `attribute_value = 'GERMLINE'` without first checking all distinct values for that attribute in the study.
### Query the Requested Attribute, Not a Proxy
Do not infer one clinical attribute from a related subtype or marker. Query the actual requested attribute when it … (17073 more chars)
▶ clickhouse_list_table_columns
{
"table": "genomic_event_derived"
}
▶ resolve_and_route
{
"studyIds": [
"lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018"
]
}
◀ result
{"columns":[{"name":"sample_unique_id","type":"String"},{"name":"hugo_gene_symbol","type":"String","comment":"HUGO gene symbol (e.g., TP53, KRAS, BRAF). Use for gene-specific queries."},{"name":"entrez_gene_id","type":"Int32"},{"name":"gene_panel_stable_id","type":"LowCardinality(String)"},{"name":"cancer_study_identifier","type":"LowCardinality(String)"},{"name":"genetic_profile_stable_id","type":"LowCardinality(String)"},{"name":"variant_type","type":"LowCardinality(String)","comment":"Type of genomic event: \"mutation\" for SNVs/indels, \"cna\" for copy number alterations, \"structural_variant\" for SVs. Always filter by this."},{"name":"mutation_variant","type":"String","comment":"Protein change notation (e.g., p.V600E, p.R175H). Use for specific variant queries. \"NA\" for non-mutation events."},{"name":"mutation_type","type":"LowCardinality(String)"},{"name":"mutation_status","type":"LowCardinality(String)","comment":"For mutations: Somatic, Germline, UNKNOWN, or UNCALLED. Filter mutation_status != \"UNCALLED\" to exclude uncertain calls. Include all other statuses."},{"name":"driver_filter","type":"LowCardinality(String)"},{"name":"driver_filter_annotation","type":"String"},{"name":"driver_tiers_filter","type":"LowCardinality(String)"},{"name":"driver_tiers_filter_annotation","type":"String"},{"name":"cna_alteration","type":"Nullable(Int8)","comment":"Copy number alteration: only 2 = amplification (AMP) and -2 = deep deletion (HOMDEL) are stored. Shallow deletion (-1), diploid (0) and gain (1) are not in this table; query genetic_alteration_derived WHERE profile_type = 'gistic' (alteration_value is a String, e.g. '-1'). NULL for non-CNA events."},{"name":"cna_cytoband","type":"String"},{"name":"sv_event_info","type":"String"},{"name":"patient_unique_id","type":"String"},{"name":"off_panel","type":"Bool","comment":"Boolean: 1 = mutation outside gene panel coverage (off-panel), 0 = within panel (on-panel). Filter off_panel = 0 for reliable frequency calculations."}]}
◀ result
{"success":true,"message":"Found 1 study. Use the metadata to call the appropriate navigation tool(s).","data":{"totalCount":1,"studiesWithMetadata":[{"studyId":"lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018","name":"Brain Lower Grade Glioma (TCGA, PanCancer Atlas)","sampleCount":514,"studyViewUrl":"https://www.cbioportal.org/study?id=lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018","metadata":{"clinicalAttributeIds":["AGE","AJCC_PATHOLOGIC_TUMOR_STAGE","AJCC_STAGING_EDITION","ANEUPLOIDY_SCORE","BUFFA_HYPOXIA_SCORE","CANCER_TYPE","CANCER_TYPE_ACRONYM","CANCER_TYPE_DETAILED","DAYS_LAST_FOLLOWUP","DAYS_TO_BIRTH","DAYS_TO_INITIAL_PATHOLOGIC_DIAGNOSIS","DFS_MONTHS","DFS_STATUS","DSS_MONTHS","DSS_STATUS","ETHNICITY","FORM_COMPLETION_DATE","FRACTION_GENOME_ALTERED","GENETIC_ANCESTRY_LABEL","GRADE","HISTORY_NEOADJUVANT_TRTYN","ICD_10","ICD_O_3_HISTOLOGY","ICD_O_3_SITE","INFORMED_CONSENT_VERIFIED","IN_PANCANPATHWAYS_FREEZE","MSI_SCORE_MANTIS","MSI_SENSOR_SCORE","MUTATION_COUNT","NEW_TUMOR_EVENT_AFTER_INITIAL_TREATMENT","ONCOTREE_CODE","OS_MONTHS","OS_STATUS","OTHER_PATIENT_ID","PATH_M_STAGE","PATH_N_STAGE","PATH_T_STAGE","PERSON_NEOPLASM_CANCER_STATUS","PFS_MONTHS","PFS_STATUS","PRIMARY_LYMPH_NODE_PRESENTATION_ASSESSMENT","PRIOR_DX","RACE","RADIATION_THERAPY","RAGNUM_HYPOXIA_SCORE","SAMPLE_COUNT","SAMPLE_TYPE","SEX","SOMATIC_STATUS","SUBTYPE","TBL_SCORE","TISSUE_PROSPECTIVE_COLLECTION_INDICATOR","TISSUE_RETROSPECTIVE_COLLECTION_INDICATOR","TISSUE_SOURCE_SITE","TISSUE_SOURCE_SITE_CODE","TMB_NONSYNONYMOUS","TUMOR_TISSUE_SITE","TUMOR_TYPE","WEIGHT","WINTER_HYPOXIA_SCORE"],"molecularProfileIds":["lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_gistic","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_log2CNA","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_mutations","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_rna_seq_v2_mrna","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_rna_seq_v2_mrna_median_Zscores","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_rna_seq_v2_mrna_median_all_sample_Zscores","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_rppa","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_rppa_Zscores","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_structural_variants"],"genericAssayProfiles":["lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_armlevel_cna","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_genetic_ancestry","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_methylation_hm27_hm450_merge","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_methylation_hm450"],"heatmapProfileIds":["lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_rna_seq_v2_mrna_median_Zscores","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_rna_seq_v2_mrna_median_all_sample_Zscores","lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_rppa_Zscores"],"availableComparisonTabs":["overlap","clinical","survival","alterations","mutations","mrna","protein","generic_assay_armlevel_cna","generic_assay_genetic_ancestry","generic_assay_methylation"]}}]}}
▶ clickhouse_run_select_query
{
"query": "WITH mut AS (
SELECT DISTINCT patient_unique_id FROM genomic_event_derived
WHERE cancer_study_identifier = 'lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018' AND hugo_gene_symbol = 'IDH1' AND variant_type = 'mutation' AND mutation_status != 'UNCALLED'
),
os AS (
SELECT patient_unique_id,
maxIf(toFloat64OrNull(attribute_value), attribute_name = 'OS_MONTHS') AS os_months,
maxIf(attribute_value, attribute_name = 'OS_STATUS') AS os_status
FROM clinical_data_derived
WHERE cancer_study_identifier = 'lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018' AND attribute_name IN ('OS_MONTHS', 'OS_STATUS')
GROUP BY patient_unique_id
)
SELECT
if(patient_unique_id IN (SELECT patient_unique_id FROM mut), 'IDH1-mutant', 'IDH1 wild-type') AS grp,
count() AS n_patients,
countIf(startsWith(os_status, '1')) AS n_events,
countIf(startsWith(os_status, '0')) AS n_censored,
min(os_months) AS min_fu, max(os_months) AS max_fu
FROM os
WHERE os_months IS NOT NULL AND os_status != ''
GROUP BY grp"
}
◀ result
{"rows":[{"grp":"IDH1 wild-type","n_patients":119,"n_events":53,"n_censored":66,"min_fu":0.065752704,"max_fu":211.1648092},{"grp":"IDH1-mutant","n_patients":394,"n_events":72,"n_censored":322,"min_fu":0,"max_fu":182.3322484}]}
▶ navigate_to_results_view
{
"studyIds": [
"lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018"
],
"genes": [
"IDH1: MUT"
],
"tab": "comparison/survival",
"profileFilter": "mutations"
}
◀ result
{"success":true,"message":"Navigating to https://www.cbioportal.org/results/comparison/survival?cancer_study_list=lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018&gene_list=IDH1%3A+MUT&case_set_id=lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_all&profileFilter=mutations","url":"https://www.cbioportal.org/results/comparison/survival?cancer_study_list=lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018&gene_list=IDH1%3A+MUT&case_set_id=lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_all&profileFilter=mutations","data":{"studyIds":["lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018"],"studies":[{"studyId":"lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018","name":"Brain Lower Grade Glioma (TCGA, PanCancer Atlas)","sampleCount":514}],"genes":["IDH1"],"caseSetId":"lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_all","pageDescription":"Kaplan-Meier survival analysis comparing groups defined by query genes."}}
═ answer (success)
**Overall survival by IDH1 status: Brain Lower Grade Glioma (TCGA, PanCancer Atlas)**
The counts below are patients with overall survival data. Mutant means any IDH1 mutation.
| Group | Patients | Deaths | Censored (alive at last follow-up) | Follow-up range (months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDH1-mutant | 394 | 72 (18%) | 322 (82%) | 0 – 182 |
| IDH1 wild-type | 119 | 53 (45%) | 66 (55%) | 0.07 – 211 |
- **Median survival:** I haven't given one. It needs a Kaplan-Meier estimate because many patients are censored. Fewer than half of the IDH1-mutant patients died, so the Kaplan-Meier median is likely not reached in that group.
- **Statistics:** I haven't computed a log-rank p-value or hazard ratio. The Survival tab in the link below shows the Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test. You could also run `survival::survfit` in R or `lifelines` in Python.
- **Wild-type group:** it is every patient without an IDH1 mutation call. It isn't limited to patients confirmed as mutation-profiled.
[View IDH1-mutant vs unaltered survival comparison](https://www.cbioportal.org/results/comparison/survival?cancer_study_list=lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018&gene_list=IDH1%3A+MUT&case_set_id=lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018_all&profileFilter=mutations)
You can also open the [study overview](https://www.cbioportal.org/study?id=lgg_tcga_pan_can_atlas_2018).
Next, I could compare progression-free or disease-free survival, or split the IDH1-mutant group by variant (R132H versus others).