The records of 132 patients explored for initial evaluation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were reviewed to find out whether the evaluation of extrathoracic extension could be influenced by anatomicopathological data. Brain, liver and bone metastases were found to be significantly more frequent in adenocarcinomas than in NSCLCs. This relative frequency was observed at all stages, including stages I and II as defined by computerized tomography of the chest, and in asymptomatic patients. We therefore recommend to evaluate fully the tumoral extension in patients with bronchial adenocarcinoma irrespective of its stage, and to do so even in the absence of clinical symptoms.