canker vs infect

canker is a noun but infect is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
canker	Yes	No	Yes	No
infect	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, infect is a hypernym of canker; that is, infect is a word with a broader meaning than canker:

canker (noun)	infect (noun)
a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of
an ulceration (especially of the lips or lining of the mouth)
a fungal disease of woody plants that causes localized damage to the bark

canker (verb)	infect (verb)
infect with a canker	contaminate with a disease or microorganism
become infected with a canker	communicate a disease to
	affect in a contagious way
	corrupt with ideas or an ideology