The most innovating studies presented at the 2008 international conferences in the field of kidney cancer were selected. In localized kidney cancer, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography could be a new diagnostic tool. Many communications dealed with positive surgical margins and their consequences, and predictive factors of chronic kidney disease after nephrectomy. Robot-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy seems to be a safe and effective technique. Mini-invasive treatments are promising. In metastatic kidney cancer, sunitinib was compared to IFN-alpha in first line treatment and survival data are now available. Everolimus could become the new standard after tyrosine kinase inhibitor failure.