The short answer
IARC classifies drinking very hot beverages as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A), with esophageal cancer as the cancer of concern. Coffee itself is not classifiable (Group 3).
IARC classifies very hot beverages as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).
The cancer of concern is esophageal cancer.
The concern is the temperature of the drink, not coffee itself, which IARC classes as Group 3.
A carcinogen classification describes hazard, not your personal risk.
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The simple version
It is not coffee or tea itself. IARC, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, classifies drinking very hot beverages as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). The cancer of concern is esophageal cancer.
What the classification says
IARC evaluated coffee, maté, and very hot beverages together in Monograph Volume 116. Very hot beverages are Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans. Coffee itself is Group 3, not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans. Temperature appears to be the factor behind the classification for maté and other very hot drinks.
Hazard is not the same as risk
Group 2A is a label about hazard. It says very hot drinks can probably cause cancer under some conditions. It does not tell you your own risk.
What you can do
A practical step is to let hot drinks cool before sipping. You do not need to give up coffee or tea.
If food sticks when you swallow, or swallowing becomes painful or difficult, tell your care team promptly.
For the wider picture, see our overview of cancer prevention and what raises cancer risk.
Sources
Common questions
Do very hot beverages cause cancer?
IARC classifies drinking very hot beverages as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). Probable means suspected, not proven.
Which cancer is linked to very hot beverages?
IARC identifies esophageal cancer.
Is coffee itself a carcinogen?
IARC classes coffee as Group 3, not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans. The concern is drinking very hot beverages.
Does a carcinogen label mean I will get cancer?
No. A classification is about hazard, not a prediction that any one person will develop cancer.
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Last updated: 2026-10-16Next planned review: 2028-07-05
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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