Hot Drink Temperatures Linked to Tripled Risk of Oesophageal Cancer in UK Study

Researchers from Oxford Population Health at the University of Oxford combined data from the UK Biobank and the Million Women Study, analysing the drinking habits of roughly 980,000 middle-aged adults over 14 years. Participants who reported drinking their tea or coffee “hot” had about 1.7 times the risk of oesophageal cancer compared with those who drank “warm” beverages. Those who described their drinks as “very hot” faced roughly three times the risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Consuming six or more hot drinks per day was associated with a 71 % higher SCC risk than drinking fewer than six. The increased risk applied only to SCC; no clear effect was observed for oesophageal adenocarcinoma (AC). “Very hot” was defined as >=65 °C, matching the IARC’s 2016 classification of such beverages as “probably carcinogenic”.

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)The GuardianThe IndependentDrinking very hot tea, coffee may triple food pipe cancer risk, UK study finds BBC News

Earlier investigations in South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East linked very hot beverages—particularly mate and tea brewed at >=70 °C—to oesophageal cancer. The IARC’s 2016 assessment labelled drinks above 65 °C as a probable human carcinogen. Prior UK research hinted at a similar association but involved far smaller cohorts. This analysis is the largest UK-based assessment of drink temperature and oesophageal cancer risk to date.

The Guardian

• Study population: ~980,000 adults (combined cohorts).

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)

• Relative risk for “hot” vs. “warm” drinks: 1.7 ×.

The Guardian

• Relative risk for “very hot” vs. “warm” drinks: ?3 ×.

The Guardian

• Risk increase for >=6 hot drinks per day vs. <6: 71 % higher SCC risk.

The Guardian

• SCC accounts for about 1 % lifetime risk in the UK; roughly 9,500 oesophageal cancer cases occur annually, with SCC representing a few thousand of those cases.

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)

Fiona Osgun, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, emphasized that while the overall likelihood of an SCC diagnosis remains low, the findings add to evidence that very hot drinks can raise risk. Cancer Research UK advises letting drinks cool until they feel comfortable, or adding cold milk, to mitigate the hazard. Lead researcher Dr Keren Papier noted that earlier South American studies had established the temperature link and that this UK investigation confirms the same mechanism in Western drinking patterns. She called for further research to pinpoint exact temperature thresholds.

The Independent

• “It’s difficult to put an exact time on how long a hot drink should be left to cool. But if you’re worried, we’d suggest just waiting until it’s comfortable to drink rather than drinking it while it’s still very hot.” — Cancer Research UK

The Guardian

• “While the risk of being diagnosed with this cancer remains relatively low in the UK, this research does add to the evidence that drinking very hot drinks could increase the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.” — Fiona Osgun, Cancer Research UK

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)

The team highlighted the need for additional studies to determine precise temperature cut-offs that elevate SCC risk, which could inform public-health guidelines and recommendations for food-service establishments.

The Guardian