When I was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2009, I didn’t know anyone who had ever had the disease. So I was frightened, confused and didn’t know what to expect. And though I had family and friends cheering me on, I desperately needed to talk to someone who had gone through the same thing.

That’s why I vowed to volunteer with myCancerConnection, MD Anderson’s one-on-one cancer support community, after I finished treatment. I knew...