Oral cancer has a 50% mortality rate - it can be aggressive. And despite the fact that HPV related OC generally responds well to rads and chemo, that's not %100 of the time. There are a few members here who are HPV positive and have had numerous dances with the big 'C". Do what you can to nip it in the bud the first time around.

Not all hospitals are created equal or cutting edge. Not all hospitals have the knowledgeable experts available to treat head and neck cancer. Most cancer centers have really good ENTs, with experience in H&N cancer as that is WHAT THEY DO day in and day out. And all ENTs are not made the same. This reminds me of the commercial on TV now... cant remember what it's for but you'll get the idea...

Cheap is good, Sushi is good. Cheap sushi... not so good. A rich corpse is still a corpse. Do what you can to save your life. Everything else is manageable in time. But do look into what you can do now to lighten the load financially. Being fiscally intelligent is also important.

best of luck.