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Prepositions with nouns

Cancer with prepositions

Cancer appears with different prepositions depending on meaning. With cancer describes a person's condition, while of cancer is mainly used after certain verbs such as die.

Quick answer

How are of cancer and with cancer used?

Use with cancer to describe someone who has the disease. Use of cancer mainly after verbs such as die. The two forms are not interchangeable.

She has lived with cancer for three years.
His grandfather died of cancer in 2019.
Doctors are researching treatments for cancer.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
with cancer

Describing a medical condition

Use with cancer for people who have the disease.

Many patients with cancer need long-term care.
2
die of cancer

Giving the cause of death

Use of after die to state the illness that caused death.

She died of cancer at an early age.
3
treatment for cancer

Talking about medical care

Use for to describe treatment, support, or research related to cancer.

The hospital offers treatment for cancer patients.
4
diagnosed with cancer

Describing a medical diagnosis

Use with after diagnosed.

He was diagnosed with cancer last year.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
with cancer
She is living with cancer.
Correct for describing someone who has cancer.
of cancer
He died of cancer.
Correct mainly after verbs like die to show cause.
suffer from cancer
Many people suffer from cancer-related illnesses.
Another way to describe illness, though often more formal.
treatment for cancer
Researchers developed a new treatment for cancer.
Shows purpose or target of treatment.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using of cancer to describe a patient

Use with cancer for someone who has the disease.

✕ She is of cancer. ✓ She is living with cancer.

Using with after die

English uses die of for illness as a cause of death.

✕ He died with cancer. ✓ He died of cancer.

Missing a verb with with cancer

With cancer usually follows a noun or verb.

✕ The group supports with cancer. ✓ The group supports people with cancer.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Her uncle died ___ cancer.
2. She has been living ___ cancer for years.
3. The charity raises money ___ cancer research.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say a person is of cancer?

No. Use with cancer to describe someone who has the disease.

Why do we say die of cancer?

After die, English commonly uses of to express illness as the cause of death.

Is diagnosed of cancer correct?

Standard English uses diagnosed with cancer.

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

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