As a retired Navy hurricane research pilot, I don’t leave anything up to chance. When I was with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps, I flew a P-3 into the eye of Hurricane Hugo. We were hit by a tornado, lost an engine and were trapped for two-and-a-half hours. So, in January 2011, when I discovered a lump on my jaw that didn’t feel right, I made an appointment with my ENT.

The ENT recommended I see a...