disease vs illness

Dear teachers,
could you kindly help me with this sentence:

She died after a long .........................

disease failing illness sickness

I've found the same phrase in Oxford Dictionaries (can't post the link, sorry), but I wonder why "disease" doesn't fit. Does it? (No keys in this test.)

Thank you for your help!!!

(not a teacher)

"Illness" is the state of being sick. A disease is the actual condition. You can be ill for a long time. However, you can't be a disease for a long time. I think you could probably use 'sickness', but 'illness' sounds the most correct to me.

Thanks a lot!!!
And what about my pupil's question:
Cancer is a disease, so if someone dies of cancer, he dies after a long disease.
You know, the right answer is clear to me, but I have to make it clear to a 16-year-old girl, which is not so easy )))

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Polovina

And what about my pupil's question:
Cancer is a disease, so if someone dies of cancer, he dies after a long desease.
You know, the right answer is clear for me, but I have to make it clear for a 16-year-old girl, which is not so easy )))

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No. Have a look again at what SlickVic said. You cannot have or be a long disease.

(not a teacher)

If you want to use disease there, I'd say something along the lines of:
"He died after a long bout of (or with) disease."
You can replace 'bout' with 'fight' or' struggle'.
"He died of a long-term disease."

Quote:

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Cancer is a disease, so if someone dies of cancer, he dies after a long disease.

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That doesn't follow.

If someone dies of cancer we don't say 'He died after a long cancer'.

Thank you for yor help!!!

I see that you just don't say like that, but I want to know WHY...
People feel ILL because of a DISEASE, right? A disease is a reason, a diagnosis, so people don't die of a diagnosis, they die of a long state of illness, is such an explanation OK?

Disease is o "long disease" like cancer.
Illness is a "short illness" like a flu, a cold, etc

Am I right?
I just want to understand the difference between these two words?

Diseases usually last more long-term, yes. An illness does not have to be short-lived though. As you said, cancer is a disease. It is also an illness. I can't explain it any better than the others. We say "He died after a long illness". We do not say "He died after a long disease". If you plan to ask "Why?" every time native speakers say "That is just how we say it", then you are in for a long and ultimately frustrating battle.