In October 2013, I underwent surgery in Arizona to remove a tumor in my left eye. Waking up after surgery, I vividly remember asking my surgeon if he’d been able to remove the entire tumor.

I immediately understood what his “no” meant, and a biopsy confirmed what we all feared: I had adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland, a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer.

My doctor hadn’t treated many adenoid cystic carcinoma...