Drinking very hot tea or coffee may significantly increase the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), according to research from the University of Oxford. Those who consume beverages ‘very hot’ have nearly three times the risk of developing SCC compared to individuals who drink warm beverages.
Data from this study, which is among the largest of its kind, involved nearly one million adults in the UK. The participants were part of the Million Women Study (MWS) and the UK Biobank (UKB); they were observed for an average of 14 years in MWS and 11 years in UKB.
Keren Papier, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, noted that people drinking ‘hot’ beverages had about a 1.7 times higher risk of SCC, while those consuming them ‘very hot’ faced up to a threefold increase in risk.
The study, highlighting this risk, was published in the International Journal of Cancer.
It is important to mention the limitation of this research: beverage temperatures were self-reported by participants, which might not accurately represent actual temperatures.
Papier suggests letting your drinks cool slightly before consumption as a preventative measure. She estimates that adjusting the temperature could prevent approximately 14% of SCC cases if the association reflects a true causal relationship.
An outside cancer specialist, Dr. Aaron Sasson from the Stony Brook Cancer Center, confirmed that drinking hot liquids can irritate the esophagus, thereby possibly contributing to cancer development.
Sasson explained that similar exposure, like a burn to the skin, increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma in the affected area. Though over 85% of esophageal cancers in the U.S. are adenocarcinomas, the study focused specifically on squamous carcinomas.
The lifelong risk of developing this type of carcinoma in the U.S. remains below 1%, according to Sasson. However, the lack of direct measurement of drink temperature remains an unknown factor.
For those who regularly drink hot beverages, Sasson advises allowing them to cool, but highlights that smoking and alcohol consumption are more significant risk factors for esophageal cancer.
Melissa Rudy, senior health editor at Fox News Digital, contributed to this report.
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