India, Sept. 9 -- Drinking a hot cup of coffee or tea is a daily habit for millions of people worldwide. However, a new study by the University of Oxford suggests that people who drink 'hot' or 'very hot' beverages may face a higher risk of developing a type of oesophageal cancer known as oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

"International research has shown for some time that drinking beverages like mate at very high temperatures, as is typical in South America, is linked to an increased risk of certain oesophageal cancers," Dr Keren Papier, lead researcher and senior nutritional epidemiologist at Oxford Population Health, was quoted as saying by Cancer Research UK.

"What was less clear was whether this also applied to the temper...