Welcome wvs, and sorry you had to join this site. A PET scan alone can not diagnose cancer, but is a tool used in conjunction with others exams to help make a diagnosis, and only a biopsy can say wether it is cancer or not, which you had in the 2nd biopsy in the lymph node, probably level II, which showed SCC, which is cancer. Usually the cancer in the cervical lymph nodes is from elsewhere in the head and neck, and as shown by the PET is from the Tonsil, which is in the Oropharynx. This is 90% of the time HPV related, and they may have tested or should test the biopsy sample from the lymph node, which will have HPV DNA if positive. Being HPV positive in the Oropharynx usually has better prognostic rates across the board, and responds well to radiation, induction chemo, compared to being HPV negative, which is usually tobacco related, and more aggressive.

UPMC is a top hospital, a CCC, and top rated in ENT, and Cancer. Not sure of its ranking in U.S. Buisness Reports Best Hospitals 2013/14, but probably in the top 20 out of 5,000 hospitals, if you care to look.

They may want to a Endoscopy or Pandendoscopy to check the aerodigedtgestive tract, take a biopsy of the tonsil, and rest of oropharynx to see if cancer spread elsewhere. Sometimes not, and these days thier doing more tonsil robotic surgery, which has good outcome, maybe a neck dissection too, or just Chemoradiation, and then there is deescalation of treatment in some clinical trials, etc. There are different types of treatments options, and having many optionsare good, but basically it's surgery, radiation, Chemoradiation or a combination. You will probably have a combination of treatment modalities being its advanced cancer, usually most HPV is, and sounds like stage 4 with two lymph nodes involved. Chemo alone does not kill this cancer.

You will find out more after meeting with your doctors, and sometimes things move fast, and then sometimes it's hurry up and wait depending on thier schedules.

There are links here to treatments you can read up on, as well as the forum.

Good luck.

10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs