I was a junior at Texas A&M University when I first got diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer after a quick visit to the campus health clinic.

It came as a total surprise. The only symptom I’d had was a raspy voice. Otherwise, I was young and perfectly healthy.

Fortunately, my doctors caught the cancer early, so I knew I’d probably survive. But I did worry it would ruin all my plans for the future. At the time, I was...