Twenty-five years ago arterial embolization was introduced to facilitate the surgical excision of the carcinomatous kidney or to palliate symptoms, such as haemorrhage from non-resectable tumours. The role of this technique in the therapeutic armamentarium has been a source of debate in the literature. We reviewed all the available literature. A total of 389 papers were evaluated. Fifty-one publications and 3225 case histories met explicit entry criteria for inclusion. Until now no prospective randomized study of this approach to the management of renal carcinoma has been published. In the majority of studies the patients are grouped together irrespective of indication, i.e. pre-operative or palliative. Few articles are prospective or contain clear information regarding tumour stage, indication and adequate follow-up. Although we are not able to distinguish with certainty the effect of embolization on the course of the disease, it seems that complete pre-operative renal artery embolization facilitates the excision of large vein-invading tumours. The optimal delay between embolization and operation is probably one day. The embolization material of choice is ethanol. Palliative embolization in non-operable tumours with serious haemorrhage seems to have been successful in most cases. The scientific basis for the implementation of renal artery embolization in renal cell carcinoma is weak. We believe that either controlled trials or parallel prospective cohort studies should be undertaken to compare treatment of selected locally advanced renal carcinomas with and without embolization.