Heat in a cup linked to esophageal cancer risk, UK study finds

A UK-led analysis of about 980,000 adults from UK Biobank and the Million Women Study found that drinking six or more hot beverages daily increases esophageal cancer risk, with very hot drinks roughly tripling risk and hot-but-not-warm drinks about 1.7 times higher than warm ones. The association was strongest for squamous cell carcinoma and weaker for adenocarcinoma; overall risk remains small. While the study did not record exact temperatures, Western drink temperatures are around 60C and beverages above 65C are classified by IARC as probably carcinogenic. Reducing risk can involve letting drinks cool, adding milk, not smoking, and cutting alcohol; more research is needed to pinpoint exact temperatures.