Hi,

im hoping to get some advise or to find out if anyone else has been in a similar situation. I found a lump 3cm by 3cm in my neck. Cut a long story short - biopsy results came back and my consultant is wanting to do a selective neck dissection to remove 5 lymph nodes. But, he hasn't actually diagnosed me. He suspects that I have squamous cell in my tonsils or throat. He's doing the surgery in 2 weeks time, I've been given all the risks, the shoulder one really is bugging me. They are also doing another biopsy on my thyroid as they have found a lesion they are concerned about, but this is separate to the squamous cell. 
my concern is, that if he hasn't actually diagnosed it, and just thinks that's what caused my lump is it worth the risk of having the neck dissection. Would he do this surgery if he wasn't sure? He states that he's going to have a look for the primary cancer whilst he's in there but won't look too closely as that will be done in another possible surgery. Ive only had 2 ultrasounds and 1 biopsy. When I had the biopsy I was told the 'cyst' in lymph node had collapsed. 
I'm currently considering cancelling the surgery. Is there any other ways this can be diagnosed, or proven not to be without major surgery? How was anyone else diagnosed? And how did people cope with the surgery? 
Thanks