Next time you make yourself a hot cup of tea or coffee, you might want to let it cool down a bit before drinking.

Researchers say letting your hot drinks cool off could help you avoid some kinds of cancer. Researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found evidence that drinks at temperatures above 65℃, when swallowed, can cause cancer of the esophagus (食道). The researchers examined findings from other studies where tea and coffee were often served at 70℃ or above. Those studies were completed in Iran, China and South America.

In developed countries, health experts have linked esophageal cancer to smoking and alcoholic drinks. However, this form of cancer is more common in areas where people drink beverages at very high temperatures.

In Europe and the United States, many people drink coffee and tea at temperatures around 60℃. And they often add milk which lowers the temperature considerably. However, tea-drinkers in Iran and mate-drinkers in South America often enjoy their beverages at closer to 70℃.

The researchers note that South Americans not only drink their mate very hot, they also drink it through a metal straw. This sends the scalding liquid directly into the throat.

The findings, however, are good news for coffee drinkers. In 1991, the World Health Organization listed coffee as possibly carcinogenic (致癌的). WHO officials have since changed their position on that listing. They now suggest that the temperature of your hot drink is a greater risk factor than the actual drink itself.

The results suggest that drinking very hot beverages is one probable cause of esophageal cancer and that it is the temperature, rather than the drinks themselves, that appears to be responsible.

They still bite, but new research shows lab-grown mosquitoes are fighting dengue fever — a dangerous disease that they normally would spread. Dengue infections appear to be dropping fast in communities in Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil and Australia that are filled with the specially grown mosquitoes.

Researchers first injected （注射）mosquito eggs with Wolbachia bacteria that's common in insects and harmless to people in a lab. Infected females then pass the bacteria on through their eggs. Releasing enough Wolbachia carriers, both the females that bite and the males that don't, allows mating（交配）to spread the bacteria through a local mosquito population.

Rather than using chemicals to wipe out pests, “this is really about transforming the mosquito," said Cameron Simmons of the nonprofit World Mosquito Program, which is conducting the research.

The first success came from Australia. Mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia were released in parts of North Queensland starting in 2011, and gradually spread through the local mosquito population. Dengue is spread when a mosquito bites someone who is infected, and then bites another person, but somehow Wolbachia blocks that — and local spread has nearly disappeared in those North Queensland Communities, Simmons said.

The studies are continuing in other countries. But the findings, presented at a meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, suggest it's possible to turn at least some mosquitoes from a public health threat into annoying biters.

The work marks “exciting progress," said Michigan State University professor Zhiyong Xi, who wasn't involved with the project but has long studied how Wolbachia can turn mosquitoes against themselves.

More research is needed, specialists cautioned. "The results are pretty exciting — strong levels of reductions — but there clearly are going to be things to be learned from the areas where the reductions are not as great," said Penn State University professor Elizabeth McGraw.

When Lauren Marler began having disturbing symptoms at the age of 15, she somehow knew it was cancer. After some research, she realized she was right. But that was just the beginning of her horrific cancer journey. Marler’s doctors discovered that what she had was truly unlucky—but she’s still here to tell her tale.

In 2005, Marler noticed blood in her stool; she was too embarrassed to tell anyone. For two years she kept silent. “I looked up my symptoms and knew I had all the signs for colon cancer,” she says. “However, my mom thought I was overreacting.” Eventually, the doctor she visited confirmed she had a colon cancer at the age of 17.

“The doctor said that I needed to get to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre immediately,” Marler recalls. There she met with Miguel Rodriguez­Bigas, who removed Marler’s entire colon and almost all of her rectum(直肠).

But just nine months later, the cancer returned. “When my mom told me, I just felt like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. I just want to be a normal kid.’” After another surgery and three months of chemotherapy (化疗), Marler believed that her cancer battles had to be over.

Then, during a routine scan to ensure that she was still in remission (重病的缓解期) five years later, 23­year­old Marler got a call. “The doctor called to tell me that the scan showed a spot in my uterus (子宫) and it was endometrial cancer, an aggressive one. We went back to MD Anderson to meet with Pedro T. Ramirez, who recommended a full hysterectomy (子宫切除).”

Puzzled by Marler’s history, Dr. Rodriguez­Bigas recommended that she get genetic testing. The testing revealed the bad news: Marler had an incredibly rare disorder called CMMRD. Dr. Rodriguez­ Bigas explained that the disorder makes a person likely to suffer from different cancers. There is no treatment for the disorder, only preventive care—primarily regular scans to catch any developing cancers early. Armed with an answer for the grief and suffering she had endured for the past decade of her life, Marler actually felt a sense of relief. “It’s heartbreaking, but at least I have an answer.”

Three years later, Marler was unable to shake what she thought was sinus infection (鼻窦感染). Marler’s mother knew something wasn’t right when Marler refused to go back to the hospital because of the level of pain she felt.

On this trip to the hospital, Marler was admitted and scanned. “I couldn’t believe it was happening again. The medical test showed that it was lymphoma (淋巴瘤), one of the hardest types to treat. The doctors told me the treatment was going to be so painful that I would hate them by the time it was over. They were right.” Marler endured six different types of chemotherapy at the same time, one of which was delivered through her spinal cord. She was required to be admitted to the hospital every other week for six days. “I was so weak that I couldn’t get off my couch. I lost all of my hair, and I had severe body aches,” she recalls.

Today, at 28, Marler is once again in remission—something she definitely doesn’t take for granted. She credits her family for her ability to endure her repeated battles with a smile. She says, “I laugh a lot. That’s one thing my family does really well—we can find the humor in any situation. I’ve always found a way to laugh. I do worry about what’s next, but I can’t let it consume me. I’ve learned to live with it.”