Previously, we reported that urothelial transitional cell cancer is characterised by high expression of bcl-2 and mutant p53 (Watanabe et al, 1994; Bilim et al, 1996, 1998); furthermore, Bcl-2 is frequently expressed in RCC specimens, but p53 mutation is a rare event in RCC (Tomita et al, 1996). Here, BCL2 is linked to renal cell carcinoma.