Question: My son has a host of health problems and is also developmentally delayed. One of the doctors who examined him thinks he has a rare genetic disorder. What can we expect going forward?
Answer: In recent years, major advances have been made in identifying the causes of rare diseases, thanks to a huge drop in the cost of doing genome sequencing—from millions of dollars per individual to just $1,500.
There are an estimated 7,000 rare diseases linked to mutations in the genome, which includes all of a person’s inherited genetic instructions encoded in DNA.
The World Health Organization defines a rare disease as one that strikes less than one out of every 2,000 people. But some are ultra-rare, affecting only a handful of people in the entire world.
Patients suspected of having a genetic disorder are usually sent to a geneticist who will order tests based on the patients’ symptoms and appearance.
If these tests don’t provide any answers, the geneticist may seek the help of Care4Rare Canada, a national research network led out of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Ottawa.
In certain cases, Care4Rare will arrange for the patient to undergo genome-wide sequencing, in an attempt to identify mutations in any one of the 20,000 genes responsible for producing proteins.
“This method will diagnose anywhere from 25 to 40 percent of patients in which we have a high suspicion of a genetic disease,” says Taila Hartley, operations director at Care4Rare.
“That’s game changing for the rare-disease community,” she adds, noting that many patients go years without any idea of what is causing their clinical symptoms.
For those who remain undiagnosed, Care4Rare may use newer technologies to examine both the genome and its RNA output.
Being able to put a name to a disorder can provide some comfort to patients and families, says Dr. Alex MacKenzie, a former co-lead of Care4Rare and professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa.
But unfortunately, a name alone doesn’t automatically lead to a clear treatment path, he says.
That’s because doctors still don’t know how to fix most of these genetic conditions, although it’s hoped that more research will eventually produce new and innovative therapies.
For now, at least, patients and their family members “have to live our lives as best we can” says Isabel Jordan, the chair of the Rare Disease Foundation.
“People with rare diseases can get lost in the cracks of the health care and social service systems,” says Jordan, whose son Zachary was diagnosed with a rare connective-tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
They often go from specialist to specialist seeking help and frequently end up in hospital emergency departments.
However, she says, patients and families can benefit from sharing their experiences and passing on the knowledge they’ve gained through trial and error.
The Rare Disease Foundation helps groups set up local resource networks in communities across Canada. “You might not have someone with the same rare disease near you, but there are people with other rare diseases all around us,” she explains. “The things they’ve learned can help everyone have a better experience.”
After all, sharing tips can make a big difference. For example, Jordan notes that, under certain circumstances, a companion of a disabled person can fly for free on some domestic airlines.
“No one at an airline is volunteering that information, even when you show up at the check-in with a loved one in a wheelchair,” says Jordan. She says that she took many flights with her disabled son before a family member of a rare-disease patient told her that she was eligible for a discount.
Julie Drury, chair of Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, agrees that peer support is crucial.
Drury lost her eight-year-old daughter, Kate, to a rare disease affecting mitochondria, the power centres within the body’s cells.
“When you have a child who has a rare or undiagnosed disease you really have to become the quarterback for their care,” says Drury.
She offers the following advice to families:
- Keep notes of your child’s symptoms and what happens at medical appointments. “You can only absorb so much at any one time. With notes, you will be able to reflect back accurately.”
- Ask a member of the medical team to write a detailed summary of the condition. This document can then be used if the patient has to visit an emergency department and electronic medical records are not available.
- Don’t rush into treatment decisions. “You really need to weigh advice thoughtfully,” says Drury. Seek second and even third opinions from other health care providers.
- Take care of your own health. Dealing with a rare disease is extremely stressful and puts pressure on marriages and siblings. “Families need to be aware they may experience medical PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).”
Drury says it’s important to build support networks. For instance, social workers—who are employed by many hospitals and public agencies—can often lend a hand.
“They understand the system and can help connect you to the appropriate community resources, and lobby on your behalf,” says Lina Gagliardi, professional leader for social work at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.
“You learn as you go and look for allies along the way,” says Drury.
Sunnybrook’s Patient Navigation Advisor provides advice and answers questions from patients and their families. This article was originally published on Sunnybrook’s Your Health Matters, and it is reprinted on Healthy Debate with permission. Follow Paul on Twitter @epaultaylor.
If you have a question about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system, email AskPaul@Sunnybrook.ca
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We invite all the participants across the world to attend the International Conference on Genetic Disorders and Gene Therapy during May 18-19, 2021. The theme of the conference is “Current challenges in pandemic situation for Genetics” and to encourage young minds and their research abilities by providing an opportunity to meet the experts in the field of Genetic Disorders. ICGDTE 2021
Gene therapy is a complex process involves incorporation of specific engineered genes into the affected cells where different kinds of viruses are used as vectors like retroviruses, adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses, herpes simplex viruses. Genetics deals with gene sciences and its disorders. Genetics is an emerging group of sciences, which involves medicine, genetic engineering, and other biological sciences. Disorders in gene composition, called mutation may result in genetic disorders that need gene therapy treatment. Failure of treatment succeeds the mutant genes to offspring causing hereditary diseases or disorders.
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Email id: geneticdisorders94@gmail.com
conference url: https://genetics.geneticconferences.com/
Thank you for the tip about keeping track of your child’s symptoms as well as what happens at medical appointments. My sister has a son that she thinks might have a health problem but isn’t sure. I think she should look at other ways of figuring out if he has a genetic disorder.
The more we can get people talking, the better we will be!! Continue to get the word out!
Why not seek a referral to a Clinical Geneticist?