The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that tumors of the esophagus are likely the result of high temperatures and not the coffee or hot drinks consumed.
“There is physical evidence that very hot beverages can contribute to cell injury in the esophagus and thus contribute to cancer formation,” concluded Dr. Mariana Stern, from the University of Southern California. Stern and her co-authors examined more than 1,000 studies documenting the effects of 20 different kinds of cancer.
Researchers found a higher incidence of esophageal cancer in countries that drank very hot beverages (1580 F), a temperature that can scald the esophagus. Coffee was once thought to be the root cause but two studies (2009 and 2016) now point to temperature. Esophagal cancer kills 400,000 annually worldwide.