Table 3 Inclusion and exclusion criteria

○ Adults age 18 and above

○ Male or female

○ Primary or recurrent locally advanced rectal cancer amenable to elective radical exenterative surgery

○ ASA grades I–III

○ Able and willing to consent

○ in other concurrent trials is acceptable—following discussion with trial team of both studies

○ Lack of patient consent

○ Widespread metastases not amenable to curative resection

○ Contraindication to NMES

○ Pre-existing neuromuscular degenerative disease

○ Participation in other trials where agreement on participation not made in advance by trial teams

○ Patients with solitary colon cancer above the level of the peritoneal reflexion which does not require complex pelvic surgery