Objective To assess the changes in constituents of genitourinary cancer inpatients in Beijing following the growing economy of China.Methods Urological inpatients treated from January 1951 to December 2000 at the Institute of Urology, Peking University were studied restrospectively.Results In the period of about 50 years 28 474 urological inpatients were reviewed. Cancer patients aged 0-25 years and 26-50 years comprised 19.5% and 28.2%, respectively. Since the 1970s the incidence rates of renal cancer and prostate cancer increased dramatically from 10.4% to 28.7% and from 3.3% to 13.4%, respectively.Conclusion The introduction of new diagnostic instruments, the expansion of the aged population and a high fat diet are considered to be responsible for the change of constituents of genitourimary concer inpatients.