Oxford Study Finds Very Hot Drinks Triple Esophageal Cancer Risk in 980,000 UK Adults
Updated
Updated · CNN · Sep 9
Oxford Study Finds Very Hot Drinks Triple Esophageal Cancer Risk in 980,000 UK Adults
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 9
Summary
Nearly 980,000 UK adults tracked for 11 to 14 years showed more than a threefold higher risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma among people who preferred very hot drinks over warm ones.
The Oxford-led study also found a dose effect: people preferring hot drinks had almost double the risk, and drinking six or more hot beverages a day was linked to a 71% higher SCC risk after accounting for temperature.
About 15% of participants said they liked drinks very hot and just under half consumed six or more hot drinks daily; researchers said roughly 14% of new UK esophageal SCC cases could be avoided by drinking tea and coffee cooler.
The findings support the WHO cancer agency's 2016 classification of drinks above 65C as probably carcinogenic, though experts said self-reported heat preferences show robust associations rather than definitive proof of causation.
Esophageal cancer remains relatively uncommon—about 1% lifetime risk in the UK—but caused 604,000 new cases and 544,000 deaths globally in 2020, with annual cases projected to rise by more than 50% by 2040.