I’ve been coming to MD Anderson for almost 11 years now, because I have a rare genetic condition called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome. It puts me at much greater risk of developing many different types of cancer over my lifetime. I’m only 36 now, and I’ve already had five cancers: adrenal, breast, thyroid, melanoma and sarcoma.

Normally, I get my checkups at MD Anderson every three months, just to make sure nothing new has cropped up. My...