The research was led by Dr Keren Papier (Image: Getty)
Regularly sipping “very hot” tea or coffee could significantly raise the chances of developing oesophageal cancer, according to what is described as the largest study yet to examine the connection. Researchers at Oxford Population Health, University of Oxford, analysed health data from almost 980,000 adults in the UK. When compared with people who said they usually drank tea or coffee “warm”, those who preferred their beverages “hot” were found to have about a 1.7 times greater risk of the disease.
The risk appeared to climb further among people who reported drinking their tea or coffee “very hot”, reaching roughly three times that of warm-drink consumers. The study also suggested that volume may play a role. Participants who drank six or more hot drinks a day had a 71% higher risk of squamous cell carcinoma, known as SCC, than those who had fewer than six. However, researchers did not find the same pattern for oesophageal adenocarcinoma, another common type of oesophageal cancer.
How many hot drinks people consume may also influence risk (Image: Getty)
Health experts say the concern centres on heat damage. Very hot liquids can irritate and injure the delicate cells lining the oesophagus, the tube that carries food and drink from the mouth to the stomach.
Simple changes, such as adding cold milk to tea or coffee or waiting a few minutes for a drink to cool, may help reduce that potential risk.
In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classified very hot drinks above 65C as “probably carcinogenic to humans” and identified them as “one probable cause of oesophageal cancer.”
The new study noted that tea and coffee in Western populations are generally believed to be consumed at around 60C.
Fiona Osgun, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: “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.
“There is however a simple step people can take – let a cuppa cool down a little before taking a sip.
“And the most important ways to reduce the risk of this cancer type are not smoking and cutting down on alcohol.”
Dr Keren Papier, lead researcher and senior nutritional epidemiologist at Oxford Population Health, said: “International research has shown for some time that drinking beverages like mate at very high temperatures, as is typical in South America, is linked to increased risk of certain oesophageal cancers.
“What was less clear, was whether this also applied to the temperatures at which hot drinks are usually consumed in Western populations.
“This is now the largest study to look at that question in a UK population, where many people drink tea and coffee daily.
“It adds to existing evidence that drinking very hot drinks could increase the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
“More research is now needed to identify the exact drink temperatures linked to this increased risk.”
Oesophageal cancer is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the oesophagus, sometimes called the gullet or food pipe. The oesophagus connects your mouth to your stomach. How serious oesophageal cancer is depends on where it is in the oesophagus, how big it is, if it has spread and your general health.
The two main types of esophageal cancer are adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which develop in different types of cells and locations within the food pipe. Around 9,500 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in the UK each year. It’s the 14th most common cancer in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK.
Oesophageal SCC is relatively uncommon in the UK, with people having around a 1% lifetime risk of being diagnosed.
Symptoms of oesophageal cancer according to the NHS
There are many possible symptoms of oesophageal cancer, but they might be hard to spot.
They can affect your digestion, such as:
- having problems swallowing (dysphagia)
- feeling or being sick
- heartburn or acid reflux
- symptoms of indigestion, such as burping a lot
Other symptoms include:
- a cough that is not getting better
- a hoarse voice
- loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- feeling tired or having no energy
- pain in your throat or the middle of your chest, especially when swallowing
- black poo or coughing up blood (although these are uncommon)
