NOOOO!!!! Oh my goodness, I am soooo very sorry you are going thru this!!!! Recurrences are so mentally defeating, even the suggestion of a recurrence by a doctor is not easy to process.

It sounds like the 6 week delay is to give your mouth time to heal and if it does then a biopsy isnt necessary. How about trying a second opinion? If this would turn out to be cancer then you dont want to delay 6 weeks before a biopsy. Then another few weeks to get the results and create a treatment plan. Id think it would likely be 3 months before anything was done to treat the area if it would turn out to be cancer. Of course this is just my non-medical background thinking of how long these things can take from discovery until the cancer is eliminated.

Do you see an ENT? I suggest getting checked by an ENT to see what they have to say about waiting 6 weeks before doing a biopsy. Ive been in a similar situation where my doctor gave me 3 options, he let me decide which I wanted to go with... The first option was exactly what you currently are doing, waiting a few weeks to give the area time to heal before doing a biopsy. Since my area of question was just like yours and in a place where its been radiated having it heal takes a very long time. My second choice was to try antibiotics and doing extra care by alternating using peridex and the warm water/baking soda/salt rinse several times a day and getting rechecked in 2-3 weeks. The third option was not to wait, just do the biopsy right away. After being part of this group for several years it made my selection pretty easy... take the biopsy immediately. I then had the choice of how I wanted the biopsy done. Either do it right on the spot without numbing or I could have had the area numbed. I also could have scheduled the biopsy to be done after I was put into a light sleep but I would need someone to drive me back and forth after being sedated. I selected do it right then and there without any numbing. I always hated being numb and not knowing if I was drooling. Pretty embarrassing when you are out in public! I made a quick stop at the grocery store then the pharmacy and thankfully the pharmacy tech whispered to me to take a peek in the bathroom mirror. I had blood running down my chin and onto my clothes. Oh what a sight I must have been that day!!! The biopsy sample was only a teeny-tiny sliver of tissue. It was so small I couldnt believe anything would be able to get discovered by that small of a sample. Ive had so many biopsies done, luckily most were non-cancerous.

I completely understand everything you wrote about your options if this turns out to be cancer again. Ive been in that exact position myself in 2009. Before making any decisions regarding the future first find out if you must make those difficult choices. Im the kind of person who always likes to be prepared so I do understand your thinking. But for right now... try your very best to do this one step at a time until you know what you are dealing with. If its not cancer, just an area that isnt healing after rads then you might benefit from doing hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBO). Its kinda a pain doing them but they really can work wonders, at least they did for me. You have nothing to lose by giving HBO a try. Another idea is to see a wound specialist. Ive been to one and was pleasantly surprised at how many things they try to make patients heal. The wound doctors should know all about radiated tissue not responding like regular tissue and have ways to help the healing to speed up. One other idea is (check with your doc first) adding high protein whey powder to your drinks to help up your daily protein intake to boost your healing capabilities.

I wish you all the very best with this!!! (((HUGS))) Please let us know how you make out.