Nigeria, Sept. 12 -- People who regularly drink very hot tea or coffee may face a significantly higher risk of developing oesophageal cancer, a study has found.

The researchers found that people who preferred their beverages very hot had more than three times the risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) compared with those who preferred warm drinks.

The study, involving nearly 980,000 middle-aged adults in the United Kingdom, was published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Oesophageal cancer affects the tube that carries food and drinks from the mouth to the stomach. Oesophageal SCC is the most common form of the disease globally.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer research arm...