Very Hot Coffee, Tea Could Triple Risk Of Oesophageal Cancer, Study Finds

Very Hot Coffee, Tea Could Triple Risk of Oesophageal Cancer, Study Finds A large-scale study involving nearly one million people has found that drinking coffee and tea at very high temperatures may significantly increase the risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma SCC, a type of cancer affecting the food pipe. Researchers from the University of Oxford analysed data from about 980,000 adults in the UK through the UK Biobank and Million Women Study, following participants for more than a decade. The study found that people who reported drinking their beverages “very hot” had about a threefold higher risk of developing oesophageal SCC compared with those who preferred their drinks warm. Those who drank beverages described as “hot” also faced a substantially higher risk, at nearly twice that of people who drank them warm. The researchers also found that drinking large quantities of hot beverages was associated with increased risk. Participants who consumed six or more hot drinks a day had a 71% higher risk of oesophageal SCC than those who consumed fewer than six, after accounting for beverage temperature. Researchers stressed that the findings do not suggest coffee or tea itself causes oesophageal cancer. Instead, the concern centres on the temperature of the beverage. Repeated exposure to very hot liquids may damage the cells lining the oesophagus, potentially causing inflammation and other changes that can increase cancer susceptibility over time. The study found no similar temperature-related association with oesophageal adenocarcinoma, another major form of oesophageal cancer. The findings add to previous international research linking extremely hot beverages with oesophageal cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has previously classified drinking very hot beverages, particularly those above about 65°C, as “probably carcinogenic to humans. However, the researchers acknowledged that they did not directly measure the temperature of participants’ drinks. Instead, people reported whether they usually consumed beverages as “very hot,” “hot” or “warm.” Cancer Research UK also noted that oesophageal SCC remains relatively uncommon in the UK, meaning that even a substantial relative increase does not necessarily translate into a high absolute risk for an individual. Health experts say one simple precaution is to allow tea, coffee and other hot beverages to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature rather than consuming them while they are scalding. Experts also stress that established risk-reduction measures remain important, particularly not smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, both of which are major risk factors for oesophageal SCC. The researchers estimated that around 14% of oesophageal SCC cases in the UK could potentially be avoided if people who currently drink beverages at “very hot” temperatures instead consumed them at temperatures more consistent with the “hot” category used in the study.