Sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis @lindabob. It comes just one month after my surgery to remove most of my colon along with a 6 cm malignant tumor in the top-left corner of the colon and a very small malignancy in my appendix at the bottom-right. Everything between was removed, along with samples of 20 lymph nodes that all proved to be cancer-negative. Now with almost no colon at all, my digestive system features my small intestine that feeds small feces (the size of my thumb) almost directly into my rectum for disposal almost as in the olden days.

Despite indications that the tumors were removed, my surgical team called in an oncologist. He was impressed with results of the surgery and offered crucial information about chemotherapy-- good effects and bad -- and asked me to decide over the weekend on taking chemo or not. I chose not. Instead, the oncologist set up a plan for surveillance over the coming five years to immediately detect any malignancy should one occur. That's what I call "covering all your needs" before they occur. Hopefully, you can see possibilities for your husband's treatment and surveillance or, at least, questions to ask your oncologist and surgical team about your husband's future with cancer behind him. Martin

So sorry for the cancer diagnosis of your husband, @lindadob.
I agre with what @paul28 has written.

I had a transanal resection for a polyp that the first biopsy (taken at a colonoscopy) said was pre-cancerous. Second biopsy (post-surgical) revealed positive margins. Surgeon said, no new surgery because she could see nothing more and because polyp was too close to the sphincter, and she didn't want to put the sphincter at risk. She sent me to an oncologist. He said the same: no surgery so as not to put the sphincter at risk, better radiotherapy. Now I have a rare, very low rectovaginal fistula because of the radiotherapy.

I consulted the same surgeon about fixing the fistula. She offered a flap with a temporary colostomy with a fairly high chance of recurrence of a fistula. Went for a second opinion. Surgeon #2 said: they should have operated again after the biopsy indicating the positive margin and wait & see before doing radiotherapy. A third opinion from an investigator and surgeon oncologist said the same thing.

A more recent colonoscopy revealed a new polyp facing the fistula, so now, on Jan. 26, I'm having a resection of the rectum, mesorectum and sigmoid with a coloanal anastomosis, to avoid a colostomy, to reduce the risk of a new fistula, of a new polyp, and of cancer.

Oh, everything matters and Oncology ranks right at the top in your "matter-of-concern" LIST #1, #2, #3 and possible more!
Why?
Because you do know that chemotherapy and radiation is not a clear and precise science.
Why?
Because your chemo plan of navigation, the chemo cocktail, the specific drugs. term, etc is a guess .... a guess by an Oncologist who on a good day might get it right 10% of the time on the initial first try.
This is the first day of "discovery" to see how well you can tolerate it, AKA, "how bad are your side effects" ??
This plan may be amended, (likely), or terminated all together.
As in anything. there are those who are more than satisfied and those who regret their decisions.
The worst case scenario is when after all is said and done, the patient regret comes solely from feeling that they were "talked into something" with far less than adequate knowledge and understanding of what they signed up for.
Don't be that person!!
Best to everyone!
Paul