The present paper analyses temporal trends for cancers of the kidney including urinary tract and of the urinary bladder, in the Italian Network of Cancer Registries (pool AIRT), for the period 1986-1997. As regards kidney cancer (14,915 cases and 5,857 deaths analysed) a statistically significant increase has been observed in incidence rates. Such increase was present from 1986 to 1991 among males, +5.4%/year, afterwards it became rather stable; among females, the incidence increased along the whole period, +2. 7%/year. Mortality rates were stable along the analysed time period. Bladder cancer incidence (33,283 cases) showed a significant increase in both sexes, + 1. 6%/year among males and +2.5% among females, whereas mortality (9,348 deaths) showed a significant decreasing trend in both males, -2.7%/year, and females, -3.5%/year.