Hi there sorry way back when I was pushing for the surgery I was thinking it was confined to the oral tongue and not HPV related. duh... Christmas crap dulled my brain. since it sounds very much like what you described - a slow creeping SCC (mine sounds similar - but was confined to the tongue and was not HPV) it only started to hit the nodes (ended up positive in one) after the biopsy - but I am sure I'd had it as a slowly growing lump in my tongue for a few years as that is how long it was bothering me for. what you are doing sounds correct for HPV positive base of tongue. I am wondering if it moved from bottom to top. Anyway best of luck with treatment.