Your description is almost 100% what I faced. SCC,StageII front right on tongue . Went to a radiologist before surgery and he recommended that I go with the surgery. With the surgery performed on 11/21/06( about 20% of Tongue removed) had a radical disection of neck. Margins OK and nodes are OK as per surgeon. His thought was to hold Rad to later if the C returns. Likewise the chemo. So far so good. Only real issue is speech

65yo DX 10/14/06 SCC tongue StgII. 11/21/06 Partial Glossectomy & radical Neck dissection. TX continues 10/07 recurrence 3 mos rad supplemented by 3 Chemo sessions