Behind the headlines: Should you be worried about your hot drink?

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By Erin Dean

Eye-catching headlines claiming hot drinks increase oesophageal cancer risk seem to have added peril to your morning cuppa. Here's what the research actually shows.

The BBC warned that “Very hot drinks may damage the food pipe and increase cancer risk” while the Independent said “Drinking very hot tea and coffee can triple your risk of cancer, Oxford study finds”.

Doctors.net.uk looks at what the study found when it comes to enjoying a hot beverage.

What did the study find?

People who said they regularly consume hot drinks at a high temperature were shown to have a greater risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), according to a new study from the University of Oxford.

Study participants were asked to report whether they typically drank hot drinks “very hot”, “hot”, or “warm”.

Compared to those who reported drinking their beverages “warm”, the researchers found that those who preferred their drinks “hot” had nearly a two times higher risk of SCC, and those who drank them “very hot” had a three times higher risk.