Research has showed that consuming drinks hotter than 65°C nearly doubles the risk of esophageal cancer, a Health Promotion Administration (HPA) official said, calling on the public to cool down the food before eating.
While the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified “very hot” beverages (hotter than 65°C) as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2016, a recent study in 2022 showed that the cancer risk of “very hot” drinks is 1.92 times higher than “hot” drinks, HPA Cancer Prevention and Control Division Director Lin Li-ju (林莉茹) said.
Data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Center showed that among the newly diagnosed esophageal cancer cases in 2021, 75.2 percent were smokers, 52.4 percent occasionally or habitually drank alcohol and 48.9 percent chewed betel nuts.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
There has yet to be any empirically effective screening tool to identify signs of esophageal cancer, the agency said in a news release on Tuesday, urging the public to avoid the disease by following a healthy lifestyle.
The gullet is constantly exposed to germs and pathogenic risk factors and could be prone to lesions, as it is the gateway for food and drinks to enter the gastrointestinal tract, Lin said.
The probability of cancer in the esophagus rises due to risk factors such as long-term smoking, chewing betel nuts and excessive drinking, she said.
Citing the American Cancer Society, Lin said that food cooked by smoking, grilling or pickling, or processed food, increases the probability of tumor development, as the additives are likely to form carcinogenic nitrosamine that harm the mucosa and increase the risk of lesions.
To prevent cancer development in the esophagus, people should adopt a healthy lifestyle, avoid risk factors and cultivate good exercise habits, she said.
People who experience symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, chest pain, foreign body sensations, food or heartburn reflux, a hoarse voice, weight loss, epigastric pain and a chronic cough should see a doctor, the official added.
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