My friend has a tumor under his jaw bone  The doctor did a CT scan, then a needle bipsy, and now a PT scan.  He also found that he has a deformed tonsil.  The doctor has already scheduled him for surgery to remove the tonsil and the tumor next week.  This has all happened within 2-3 weeks.  Do you think it is cancer?  My friend simply says it is an infection, but I am not sure he is telling me everything the doctor told him.  The surgery is to take 3-4 hours with 2 surgeons.  That sounds very serious to me, despite my friends insistance that it just an infection.
If the swelling in the neck is a bit firm, the chances of it being cancer are slightly higher than it being an infection. In both cases, the surgery is needed, has been scheduled and all you can do is support your friend in the same until the final diagnosis arrives/ your friend tells you the diagnosis/ whichever is earlier.