Donna, welcome to the site. Sorry you had to find us. Your story is very similar to mine. I found my cancer because the lymph node on my right side was swollen. My GP checked me out for my annual physical and I asked him about it. He sent me to an ENT immediately. The ENT couldn't find the primary site but told me he thought it was SCC. He took a small needle biopsy and called me in a week indicating it was suspicious but not confirmed. CT scans, PET scans, MRI's, additional needle biopsies later and they finally used a sonogram to direct the needle and got enough tissue to prove SCC in the lymph node. Still no idea of primary site. Did a tonsilectomy and the doctor couldn't see a tumor. The pathologist found it, a 2.1 cm tumor of the right tonsil. My ENT insisted that I go to a major comprehensive cancer center. As noted above, please go to a cancer center before surgery as some treatments can shrink the tumor and the surgery is much easier and much less tissue is removed due to the positive effects of shrinking the tumors. Radiation and chemo, as recommended by the ENT, can occur before surgery and make the surgery a lot easier on you. Please get a second opinion at a cancer center. Will add you to my prayers. Please thank your son for his service.