癌

• Reading: がん
• Romaji: gan
• Kanji breakdown: 癌 (gan) — cancer, malignant tumour
• Pronunciation: /ɡa.n/

Meaning

Cancer; malignant tumour. A serious medical condition involving uncontrolled cell growth.

A medical noun referring to malignant tumours and the disease of cancer. Often written in katakana as ガン in everyday media and conversation. Specific types include 胃癌 (igan, stomach cancer), 肺癌 (haigan, lung cancer), and 乳癌 (nyuugan, breast cancer). Also used figuratively to mean a deep-rooted problem.

Examples

1. 早期発見すれば癌は治る可能性が高い。 If detected early, there's a high chance cancer can be cured.
2. 祖父は癌と闘いながらも前向きだった。 My grandfather stayed positive even while fighting cancer.
3. 癌の研究が近年大きく進んでいる。 Cancer research has made great advances in recent years.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, health, news

Tone: serious

Origin & History

The kanji 癌 combines 疒 (illness radical) and 嵒 (rocky peak), suggesting a hard, rock-like growth within the body, reflecting the solid nature of tumours.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal