Very hot drinks and oesophageal cancer risk are linked by new UK research involving nearly one million middle-aged adults. People who reported drinking tea or coffee “very hot” had roughly three times the risk of squamous cell oesophageal cancer compared with those who drank them warm. That is a substantial relative increase, but the underlying cancer remains uncommon, so the absolute risk for an individual is still low.
The practical response is straightforward: there is no need to abandon tea or coffee, but let a freshly made drink cool until it is comfortable rather than swallowing it while it is still scalding.
What the research found
The Oxford University research, reported on 8 September 2026 and published in the International Journal of Cancer, examined data from 977,282 people. It classified drinks at 65°C or above as very hot.
The reported findings included:
- People drinking tea or coffee very hot had around three times the risk found among warm-drink consumers.
- Consuming six or more hot drinks a day was also associated with higher risk.
- Researchers estimated that avoiding very hot beverages might prevent around one or two in every ten cases of oesophageal cancer.
- The findings concerned squamous cell oesophageal cancer, not every cancer affecting the oesophagus.
Previous research among people who drink mate, a herbal beverage commonly consumed hot in parts of South America, had identified a similar association. The new study’s unusually large population strengthens the evidence that temperature itself may matter.
Size alone, however, does not prove causation. The result should be understood as an association supported by a plausible biological explanation, not as evidence that any particular hot drink will cause cancer.
Why temperature may matter
The oesophagus, sometimes called the food pipe or gullet, carries food and liquid from the mouth to the stomach. Very hot liquid can injure its cellular lining as it passes.
Repeated exposure may contribute to tissue damage, which is the proposed explanation for the higher cancer risk. The apparent concern is therefore heat, rather than tea, coffee, caffeine or a particular ingredient.
This distinction matters. Switching between tea and coffee will not address the suspected mechanism if both are swallowed at scalding temperatures. Conversely, allowing either drink to cool reduces the relevant exposure without removing the beverage from the diet.
What 65°C means in an ordinary kitchen
Water reaches 100°C at boiling point. According to the source material, a drink poured immediately after the kettle boils may still be around 90°C to 95°C in the cup, well above the study’s very-hot threshold.
| Temperature | Context | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 100°C | Approximate boiling point of water | Not suitable for immediate drinking |
| 90°C–95°C | Possible temperature just after pouring | Still substantially above the study threshold |
| 70°C or above | Temperature many participants in a separate tasting study considered too hot | Individual heat perception varies |
| 65°C or above | Definition of “very hot” used in the reported research | Associated with increased risk in the study |
| 49°C–60°C | Commercially cited range for takeaway coffee | Below the study threshold, although personal comfort still matters |
These figures should not be treated as a universal cooling timetable. Cup material, drink volume, room temperature, milk, lids and insulation all affect how quickly a beverage loses heat.
Adding milk may lower the temperature, but not necessarily enough. A small amount added to a near-boiling drink can leave it well above 65°C. Insulated travel mugs may keep drinks hot for considerably longer than open ceramic cups.
Relative risk is not the same as absolute risk
The “three times higher” figure can sound more alarming than the underlying numbers justify. It describes relative risk between groups, not the probability that an individual tea or coffee drinker will develop cancer.
The source reports that roughly 1% of the UK population has a lifetime risk of being diagnosed with the squamous cell form of oesophageal cancer. Even with an association between very hot drinks and higher risk, most people who consume such drinks will not develop the disease.
It would also be misleading simply to multiply the reported 1% lifetime figure by three and claim that every very-hot-drink consumer faces a 3% risk. The study comparison, baseline population and lifetime estimate are not necessarily interchangeable in that way.
The balanced interpretation is:
- The relative difference is meaningful.
- The absolute likelihood remains low.
- Avoiding repeated thermal injury is a simple, low-cost precaution.
- Smoking and alcohol remain larger modifiable risk factors, according to the cancer charity cited in the report.
A sensible way to cool hot drinks
The researchers did not establish a precise waiting period that works for every beverage. Advice attributed to Cancer Research UK is to wait until a drink feels comfortable rather than consuming it while it remains very hot.
A practical routine is:
- Do not drink immediately after pouring. Give the beverage time to lose its initial heat.
- Stir it before testing. Temperature may not be evenly distributed, particularly after adding milk.
- Take a cautious first sip. Do not treat pain or a burning sensation as normal.
- Wait longer if necessary. A lid or insulated cup can slow cooling considerably.
- Avoid requesting “extra hot” drinks when the intention is to consume them immediately.
- Do not rely on milk alone. Judge the final temperature, not merely whether milk was added.
A kitchen thermometer can help someone who regularly drinks beverages extremely hot, but it is not necessary. Waiting until a drink feels comfortable is a more accessible guide, even though personal heat tolerance varies.
Symptoms that warrant medical attention
Symptoms associated with oesophageal cancer can include:
- Persistent heartburn or indigestion
- Pain in the throat or chest
- Unexplained weight loss
These symptoms often have causes other than cancer. Nevertheless, persistent, worsening or unexplained symptoms warrant medical assessment rather than self-diagnosis.
Cooling drinks is a reasonable preventive habit, but it is not a substitute for seeking care when symptoms occur. Nor should someone assume that warm drinks eliminate all risk: smoking, alcohol and other factors also affect oesophageal cancer risk.
The practical takeaway
The research does not make tea or coffee inherently dangerous. It suggests that habitually swallowing them at 65°C or above may raise the risk of squamous cell oesophageal cancer, probably because repeated heat exposure can damage the oesophageal lining.
Because the cancer is uncommon, the personal absolute risk remains low. Even so, allowing a drink to cool is an easy precaution with little downside. Wait until it is comfortable, particularly when it has just been poured from a boiling kettle or has been kept in an insulated container.
Sources
- BBC News, “Very hot drinks may damage the food pipe and increase cancer risk,” published 8 September 2026. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3r77d9n90o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
Meta: Very hot tea or coffee may raise oesophageal cancer risk. Learn what 65°C means, why absolute risk stays low, and how to cool drinks safely each day.