It happened to me after a tongue biopsy, a subsequent PET scan showed "activity", which ENT thought was caused by the biopsy, so a FNAB was still done by a pathologist, and came back negative. Unfortunately, I had the opposite side with with a postive node.

I'm not sure what surgery you are having in addition to the tongue, a FNAB or selective neck dissection, lymphdectomy, but often they do a triple scope, panendoscopy, with biopsy before surgery to check the other structures for possibble synchronous or metachronous tumors. HPV postive often originates in the Oropharynx, and the base of tongue can metastesize to the tongue, but it does originate elsewhere, and in the mouth, but not as often.

As mentioned, staging has an effect on treatment, so you will probably be restaged after surgery, and determination of need for neck dissection, if not already done, radiation and chemo. T1 or T2 can be trested with surgery alone, but oral cancer has propensity to metastasise to the nodes, even in early stages, and sussessful treatment of the oral cabity, also depends on management of the nodes. Oral cancer usually mestesise to levels I, II and III, but there can be skip metasteses.

Good luck with everything.