canker vs sicken

canker is a noun but sicken is not a noun.

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

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

Other hypernyms of canker include come down.

canker (noun)	sicken (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)	sicken (verb)
infect with a canker	get sick
become infected with a canker	make sick or ill
	cause aversion in; offend the moral sense of
	upset and make nauseated