UK Study Links Very Hot Drinks to 3-Fold Higher Oesophageal Cancer Risk
Updated
Updated · RTÉ News · Sep 8
UK Study Links Very Hot Drinks to 3-Fold Higher Oesophageal Cancer Risk
3 articles · Updated · RTÉ News · Sep 8
Summary
Nearly 980,000 UK adults were analyzed in the largest study of its kind, which found people drinking very hot beverages faced about triple the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma versus those drinking them warm.
The study also found a 1.7-times higher risk among people who said they liked hot drinks, and risk rose further for those consuming six or more hot drinks a day.
Researchers said the overall risk remains small — about a 1% lifetime risk for this cancer subtype in the UK — and found no clear effect on oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
Experts think very hot drinks may damage cells lining the oesophagus; the IARC already classifies beverages above 65C as probably carcinogenic, while letting drinks cool or adding cold milk may reduce the risk.