Well Jay, this actually sounds positive. Surgery next week is great, they are moving fast which you know is good. I think the removal of the lymph nodes is also a good move.
Try not to focus on the statistics. Charm would tell you you are either a survivor or not.
I have heard that there are a new subset of young women, who do not smoke, being diagnosed with HPV positive lung cancer. Maybe this is a whole new primary, which as you state would be good news from a cure point of view.
Please keep coming here and updating us.
Sending you many positive thoughts. Don't borrow sorrow from tomorrow.
Tammy

Caregiver/advocate to Husband Kris age 59@ diagnosis
DX Dec '10 SCC BOT T4aN2bM0 HPV+ve.Cisplatin x3 35 IMRT.
PET 6/11 clear.
R) level 2-4 neck dissection 8/1/11 to remove residual node - necrotic with NED
Feb '12 Ca back.. 3/8/12 total glossectomy/laryngectomy/bilat neck dissection/partial pharyngectomy etc. clear margins. All nodes negative for disease. PEG in.
March 2017 - 5 years disease free. Woohoo!