A major study led by the University of Oxford has found that drinking tea and coffee 'extra hot' may significantly raise the risk of developing oesophageal cancer, one of the most aggressive and often late-diagnosed forms of the disease. Researchers found that people who preferred their drinks above 65C were around three times more likely to develop oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma than those who drank them cooler, while drinking more than six hot beverages a day was linked to a 71 per cent higher risk regardless of temperature. The findings, funded by Cancer Research UK, add to growing evidence that heat itself can damage cells in the food pipe, and researchers say a simple change in habits could help prevent some cases.

The study tracked almost 980,000 UK adults over more than a decade, during which 2,348 people developed oesophageal cancer, including 1,045 cases of squamous cell carcinoma. Those who preferred 'hot' drinks had 1.7 times the risk compared with those who liked them 'warm', rising to more than three times the risk for 'very hot' drinkers, though no link was found with the other main type, adenocarcinoma. The researchers estimate that 14 per cent of UK cases could be prevented by letting drinks cool before drinking, though they note actual drink temperatures were not measured. Around 9,500 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer annually in Britain and 7,900 die from it, with smoking, alcohol and obesity remaining the most significant risk factors overall.