1.
intractable disease; incurable illness; rare disease
A disease that is difficult to treat or cure, especially one officially designated as an intractable disease by the government. In Japan, the term is used both in everyday language and as an official medical/legal category for diseases eligible for government support.
彼女は難病と闘っている。
She is fighting an intractable disease.
難病患者への支援制度が拡充された。
Support programs for patients with intractable diseases were expanded.
新しい治療法の開発により、かつて難病とされた病気が治せるようになってきた。
Thanks to the development of new treatments, diseases once considered intractable are becoming curable.
USAGE:
In Japan, 難病 has both a general meaning (any hard-to-cure disease) and an official designation under the 難病法 (Intractable Disease Act), which provides medical expense subsidies for patients with designated conditions.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 難病と闘う (to fight an intractable disease)
- 難病患者 (patient with an intractable disease)
- 難病指定 (intractable disease designation)
- 難病を克服する (to overcome an intractable disease)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 難病: intractable disease (hard to treat; may be officially designated)
- 不治の病: incurable illness (no known cure; literary)
- 持病: chronic illness (ongoing condition one lives with)