A case-control study was conducted in the Main Hospital of Torino on 512 men and 55 women with bladder cancer, and 596 male and 202 female controls. The association with coffee drinking was investigated. In males, the odds ratios for current consumption were 0.8, 1.0, 1.2 and 0.8 for 1, 2, 3 and 4+ cups of coffee per day, respectively (adjusted for age, smoking and occupations at risk). The odds ratios for a daily consumption of 1, 2, 3 and 4+ cups 10 years before interview were 1.2, 1.5, 1.1 and 1.1, respectively. None of the estimates were statistically significant. These results are consistent with most of the previous findings. In males increased odds ratios were observed in non-smokers, with a dose-response relationship both for current and past coffee drinking habits. The association between bladder cancer and coffee consumption is unclear but it seems that smoking could play a role as an effect modifier.