Hot drink habits and esophageal cancer

Researchers assessed preferred hot drink temperature and consumption frequency across 2 large UK cohorts.

By
Kathryn Wighton
September 16, 2026
4 min

MDSpire News

Objective:

To investigate the association between preferred drink temperature and frequency of hot drink consumption with the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.

Approach:

Study Design: A prospective cohort study analyzing data from nearly 1 million UK adults, including participants from the Million Women Study and UK Biobank.
Data Collection: Participants reported their preferred hot drink temperature and daily consumption frequency, categorized as fewer than 6 or 6 or more hot drinks per day.
Statistical Analysis: Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate relative risks, with adjustments for consumption frequency and potential confounders.

Key Findings:

Higher preferred drink temperature and more frequent hot drink consumption were associated with increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Preference for very hot drinks was linked to over 3 times the risk of squamous cell carcinoma compared to warm drinks.
Consumption of 6 or more hot drinks daily was associated with a 71% greater risk of squamous cell carcinoma.
No association was found between preferred drink temperature and esophageal adenocarcinoma risk.

Limitations:

Preferred drink temperature was self-reported and assessed at a single time point.
Subjective perceptions of temperature may vary among participants and populations.