Sorry you have to come here, but welcome. As you were probably told, HPV cancer has a better response to chemoradiation, and prognosis, so in this case it's good if it does come back positive, and almost always involves the tonsil, and base of tongue. The size of the tumor, in the TNM grading, and the thickness of the tumor also helps determine the extent of treatment. The tonsil, BOT have propensity to metastasize due to the high lymphatics, and sometimes bilaterally, so that's why some may want both sides radiated, and each institution may have different treatments, as well as the doctors. Tumor Hypoxia, from angeogeneis, others, is an area of interest these days, and may cause radiation and chemo resistance. This is the first I'm reading in a blog of someone being tested. What hospital in NYC? I go to Mt. Sinai and Beth Israel in NYC.

Good luck with everything.