Rare Diseases

Summary

A rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. There are nearly 7,000 rare diseases. More than 25 million Americans have one.

Rare diseases

• May involve chronic illness, disability, and often premature death
• Often have no treatment or not very effective treatment
• Are frequently not diagnosed correctly
• Are often very complex
• Are often caused by changes in genes

It can be hard to find a specialist who knows how to treat your rare disease. Disease advocacy groups, rare disease organizations, and genetics clinics may help you to find one.

NIH: National Institutes of Health

Learn More

• All about the Human Genome Project (HGP) (National Human Genome Research Institute)
• Frequently Asked Questions about Rare Diseases (National Human Genome Research Institute)
• Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center
• Learning about an Undiagosed Condition in a Child (National Human Genome Research Institute)
• Learning about an Undiagosed Condition in an Adult (National Human Genome Research Institute)
• MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Orphan Products: Hope for People with Rare Diseases (Food and Drug Administration)

Related Issues

• Tips for the Undiagnosed (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Rare Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Upfront Radiotherapy in Patients With Asymptomatic Incurable Rectal Cancer: A Retrospective...
• Article: A multistep approach to the diagnosis of rare genodermatoses.
• Article: Case series: an essential study design to build knowledge and pose...
• Rare Diseases -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• How to Find a Disease Specialist (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center) Also in Spanish