DRINKING piping hot tea or coffee raises your risk of throat cancer, warns Cancer Research UK.
A new study estimates one in seven cases of oesophageal cancer could be avoided if people stopped scalding their throats on hot drinks.
Medical records from nearly one million Brits found people who took their beverages “very hot” were up to three times more likely to develop cancer in their food pipe than people who drank them “warm”.
Quaffing them while “hot” was still linked to a 70 per cent increase in cancer risk, the Oxford University research found.
The scientists did not measure exact temperatures but asked participants to describe how hot their drink felt.
Experts generally describe “very hot” as 65c or higher, when it is hot enough to damage cells in the mouth and throat.
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The UK population drinks an estimated one million cups of tea and one million coffees each day.
Oesophageal cancer develops in the food pipe in the throat and affects about 9,500 people every year and kills 7,900.
It is relatively rare but Cancer Research UK said there is a clear link to burns in the throat.
Fiona Osgun, head of health information at the charity, said: “There is a simple step people can take – let a cuppa cool down a little before taking a sip.
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“And the most important ways to reduce the risk of this cancer type are not smoking and cutting down on alcohol.”
Overall the charity estimates six out of ten cases of the cancer are avoidable.
The new study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, suggests 14 per cent of cases could be prevented if people stopped scalding their throats on drinks.
Burning cells damages their DNA and causes harmful swelling which can both add to the risk of cancer.
Sunburn has the same effect and increases skin cancer risk.
Study author Dr Keren Papier said: “This is the largest study to look at this question in a UK population, where many people drink tea and coffee daily.
“It adds to existing evidence that drinking very hot drinks could increase the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
“More research is now needed to identify the exact drink temperatures linked to this increased risk.”
The warning signs of oesophageal cancer
OESOPHAGEAL cancer is a cancer of the food pipe.
It affects 9,400 people in the UK every year, and most people are over the age of 60.
Smoking increases your risk of the disease, as does being overweight, drinking alcohol and having conditions like Barrett’s oesophagus, where the cells lining your oesophagus have become abnormal.
Only 12 per cent of patients survive for 10 or more years after being diagnosed.
There are around 8,000 oesophageal cancer deaths in the UK every year – or 22 every day.
Early diagnosis is key, so recognising the symptoms is vital. The most common include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Unexplained weight loss
- Indigestion or heartburn that doesn’t go away
- Pain in the throat or behind the breastbone
But some people also experience a cough, hoarseness, dark poo, tiredness and food coming back up after swallowing.
Source: Cancer Research UK