Hot drinks raise esophageal cancer risk, UK study finds

What's happened

A UK study covering about 980,000 adults has found that drinking very hot beverages increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, with risk rising for higher temperatures and more frequent consumption. The study notes a low overall absolute risk and highlights that cooling drinks can reduce the danger.

What's behind the headline?

Analysis

• The study reinforces a consistent pattern seen in Asia and the Americas: consuming very hot beverages correlates with higher SCC risk, not AC.
• The large sample size (~980k) strengthens statistical power, but self-reported temperatures introduce potential bias.
• Practical takeaway: public health messaging may focus on cooling drinks and reducing very hot beverage frequency without implying a strong overall cancer threat.
• Readers should note that absolute risk remains relatively low, so personal risk varies with baseline factors like smoking and alcohol use.

How we got here

Researchers from University of Oxford’s Population Health group pooled data from UK Biobank and the Million Women Study, examining how beverage temperature and frequency relate to esophageal cancer. The study differentiates between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC), finding a temperature-dependent link primarily with SCC. Cancer Research UK funded the work. The findings build on prior international research showing higher temperatures may elevate risk.

Our analysis

Independent reports note the study was financed by Cancer Research UK, with Oxford Population Health leading the analysis of UK Biobank and Million Women Study data. The Guardian emphasizes the 3x SCC risk for very hot drinks and a 71% increase with six or more hot drinks daily, while BBC Business notes the 65C threshold. All agree on cooling recommendations and low overall risk.

Go deeper

• Should I wait a minute after pouring tea before drinking?
• Does adding milk always reduce risk, or are there limits?
• How does this affect cafes and takeaway venues in terms of serving temperatures?

More on these topics

• Cancer Research UK - Corporation

  Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.

• UK Biobank - Longterm biobank study of 500,000 people

  UK Biobank is a large long-term biobank study in the United Kingdom which is investigating the respective contributions of genetic predisposition and environmental exposure to the development of disease. It began in 2006.

• South America - Continent

  South America is a continent in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere.

• Adenocarcinoma - Carcinoma that has material basis in abnormally proliferating cells, derives from epithelial cells, which originate in glandular tissue

  Adenocarcinoma (AC) is a type of cancer made of cells from glands. They can occur in many parts of the body. Adenocarcinomas are part of the larger grouping of carcinomas, but are also sometimes called by more precise terms omitting the word, where these.

• University of Oxford - University in Oxford, England

  The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in continuous operation

• United Kingdom - Country in Europe

  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland.