WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Drinking very hot tea or coffee may significantly increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer, according to the latest study published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Researchers studied data from nearly 980,000 middle-aged adults in the UK. The participants were asked about their hot drink habits, including whether they preferred their drinks 'very hot,' 'hot' or 'warm.' They were also asked how many hot drinks they consumed each day.
The participants were part of two large health studies, the Million Women Study and UK Biobank. Researchers regularly collected health information from both groups. During an average follow-up period of 14.2 years in the Million Women Study and 11.1 years in the UK Biobank, 2,348 cases of esophageal cancer were recorded.
Nearly half of the participants said they drank six or more hot drinks each day, while about 15% said they preferred their drinks very hot.
The study found that the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a common type of esophageal cancer, increased as the preferred temperature of drinks became higher.
People who preferred hot drinks had almost twice the risk of esophageal SCC compared with those who preferred warm drinks. Among people who preferred very hot drinks, the risk was more than three times higher.
The amount of hot drinks consumed also appeared to play a role. After accounting for drink temperature, researchers found that people who drank six or more hot drinks a day had a 71% higher risk of esophageal SCC than those who drank fewer than six.
The findings suggest that both the temperature and amount of hot drinks may be linked to a higher risk of esophageal cancer.
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