We reviewed 18 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter undergoing nephron-sparing surgery between April 1990 and Febrary 2003. The mean age of the patients, 17 males and one female, was 69 years (range 33-88 years). The tumor site was the renal pelvis in 2, ureter in 13 and ureteral orfice in 2. Six of them were imperative cases and 12 were elective. Eight patients underwent endourological treatment and 10 patients open surgery including partial ureterectomy performed on 8 patient. The follow up period was 3 to 104 months (mean 37 months). Among those defined as imperative, the histopathological stage was pT1 in one, pT2 in one, pT3 in 3 and one in pT4. Among the elective cases, the histopathological stage was pTa in 7, pT1 in 2, pT2 in one, pT3 in 2 patients. Of the three defired as elective with tumors cT2 or higher, two died of disease. The 5-year survival rate was 50% and 68% in the imperative and elective cases, respectively. In the patients with tumors pT2 or higher and/or grade 3, the prognosis was poor which suggests the need for intensive therapy including lymph node dissection and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. It is necessary to consider the possibility of selecting nephron-sparing surgery for locally advanced tumors.