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Hot drinks classed as 'probably' causing cancer
Hot drinks classed as 'probably' causing cancer - Expert
reaction
16 June 2016
The World Health Organization's
cancer agency has found no conclusive evidence that coffee
causes cancer but that drinking very hot drinks (65 °C or
above) probably causes cancer of the oesophagus.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said the finding suggests that it is the temperature of drinks rather than the drinks themselves that is important when it comes to cancer.
IARC have classified the consumption of coffee as "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans" (Group 3). A Group 3 evaluation does not mean coffee drinking has been proved safe when it comes to cancer, but it means that there is not enough evidence to say it is hazardous.
Coffee drinking was previously categorised as Group 2B or "possibly carcinogenic to humans" on the basis of a link to bladder cancer, the experts say this link has become weaker and it is no longer possible to determine if coffee causes bladder cancer.
Tea was not evaluated as part of this review.
Our Science Media Centre colleagues in the UK, US and Australia gathered these comments other night. Feel free to use them in your coverage. We will be releasing comment from New Zealand experts as they come in.
The media release and any associated materials are available on Scimex.
Professor Sanchia Aranda is CEO of Cancer Council Australia, comments:
“Coffee drinkers
should be comforted to know they are not increasing their
cancer risk – as long as their coffee isn’t too hot. The
risk applies to beverages at 65 degrees Celsius or hotter.
As a guide, a beverage at that temperature is likely to be
uncomfortably hot for some people to drink. So let the drink
cool a little and enjoy it.
“This IARC analysis should
help dispel the myth that everything causes cancer – and
help get the focus back on things we can all do to reduce
Australia’s cancer burden.
“People worry too much about exposure to things that pose no cancer risk. Right now we’ve got good evidence on how the next Australian government could save tens of thousands of lives by investing more in bowel cancer screening and anti-smoking and skin cancer awareness programs – that’s where Cancer Council Australia would like the focus to be.”
Kathy Chapman, Chair of our Nutrition and Physical Activity Committee, Cancer Council is available for interview via Hollie Jenkins on +61 400 762 010 or hollie.jenkins@cancer.org.au.. Professor Sanchia Aranda is currently out of the country
Dr Christina Pollard is a Research Associate in the School of Public Health at Curtin University, comments:
"The cancer causing potential of drinking coffee has been re-evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) after a 25 years and has been down-graded to ‘no conclusive evidence’ as carcinogenic to humans.
"The available evidence has grown substantially over the time and enabled a more extensive analysis with a variety of cancers studied. The IARC committee suggest that other factors such as smoking may have accounted for the original classification as possible carcinogenic in 1991. At that time it was common for people to both drink coffee and smoke.
"Coffee consumption varies by country in type and amount. Australia has seen an increase in consumption over the last decade and it is important to continue to monitor foods or beverages that are commonly consumed in large amounts. Australians drink more coffee than tea, the 2011-2012 Australian Nutrition Survey shows that coffee was consumed by nearly half of the population with an average intake of 300 mls (equivalent to a large mug, but most were from instant coffee powder."
ends
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