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Hot tea increases odds of esophageal cancer up to fivefold in high-risk individuals
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Drinking tea at high temperatures in combination with smoking and consuming alcohol increases the risk for esophageal cancer by two- to fivefold, according to findings published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
“Although consumption of tea at high temperatures has been suggested as a risk factor for esophageal cancer, an association has not been observed consistently, and whether any relationship is independent of alcohol and tobacco exposure has not been evaluated,” Canqing Yu, PhD, from Peking University Health Science Center, China, and colleagues wrote.
Between 2004 and 2008, Yu and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study to investigate the joint association of drinking tea at high temperatures and known risk factors of alcohol intake and smoking with risk of esophageal cancer. The researchers studied 456,155 patients between the ages of 30 and 79 years for a median of 9.2 years of follow-up. Patients with cancer at baseline and who decreased their intake of tea, alcohol or tobacco were excluded.
At baseline, participants completed a questionnaire on the temperature at which tea was usually consumed (room temperature, warm, hot or burning hot), the frequency of tea intake over the past year (never, only occasionally, only at certain seasons, monthly or at least once a week) and smoking and alcohol habits. The incidence of esophageal cancer was reported up to 2015.
During the follow-up period, 1,731 incident esophageal cancer cases were discovered. Participants who drank tea at high temperatures and also consumed alcohol and smoked had a higher risk of esophageal cancer, compared with drinking hot tea only.
The greatest risk for esophageal cancer was seen in participants who consumed burning hot tea and at least 15 g of alcohol daily (HR = 5; 95% CI, 3.64-6.88). An increased risk for esophageal cancer was also seen in participants who consumed burning hot tea daily and were current smokers (HR = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.55-2.67).
“Our findings show a noticeable increase in esophageal cancer risk associated with a combination of high-temperature tea drinking, excessive alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking,” Yu and colleagues concluded. “They suggest that abstaining from hot tea might be beneficial for preventing esophageal cancer in persons who drink alcohol excessively or smoke. More prospective studies are warranted to confirm the interactions observed in this study. Studies that directly measure tea temperature are particularly encouraged.”
In an accompanying editorial, Farin Kamangar, MD, PhD, from Morgan State University, and Neal D. Freedman, PhD, MPH, from the National Cancer Institute, wrote that the findings by Yu and colleagues build upon current literature of hot drinks and esophageal cancer, but follow-up studies are still important.
“Perhaps those of us who drink hot beverages often should be prudent and wait for the liquid to cool a bit first,” they wrote. “However, the results of this study should not cause people to abandon their favorite beverage. Most people drink their tea and coffee at a temperature that seems unlikely to cause cancer.” – by Alaina Tedesco
Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.