I had tremendous ear pain for over a year and was constantly misdiagnosed with sinus problems, TMJ, stress, clogged Eustachian tube, etc. Turns out ear pain is a classic symptom of base of tongue cancer due to nerve location. My tumor had grown so big and spread to lymph nodes by the time I finally had a CT scan. Congratulations on getting it early - much better odds on beating this than if discovered very late like mine.
My guess is they might suggest radiation and chemo as a precaution against recurrence.