The present study is a descriptive epidemiological study of the mortality trends for renal cancer based on the data available for the period spanning 1951 to 1985. The specific death rates show a rising trend that is more marked in males than in females. These have been observed to increase constantly for the group aged 60-64 years. The mortality rates by birth cohorts show the cohort effect to be less evident in the younger male and female population. A review of 81 clinical records (1984-1988) of La Fe Hospital in Valencia based on a protocol that focussed on selected risk factors showed a higher frequency (33.75%) for the group aged 60-69 followed by the 50-59 age group (26.75%) and a higher incidence in men (66.67%).