A policy of supportive treatment is frequently adopted for patients with metastatic disease to the adrenal glands. This study reports an experience with adrenalectomy for adrenal metastasis. Between 1983 and 1993, adrenalectomy was performed in 52 patients for metastasis to the adrenal glands. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log rank test. Primary tumour sites included kidney (n = 15), lung (n = 11), colon (n = 7), unknown (n = 5), stomach (n = 3), melanoma (n = 3) and other (n = 8). Adenocarcinoma (69 per cent) was the most common histological cell type. Thirty-two patients were asymptomatic on initial evaluation. Symptomatic adrenal pain relief was achieved in 11 of 13 patients. Overall survival rates were 73 per cent at 1 year and 40 per cent at 2 years. Patients with potentially curative resection had better survival than those who had a palliative procedure. Patients with adrenal metastases due to adenocarcinoma had improved survival compared with that in those with other histological cell types. Although long-term survival is generally poor, highly selected patients with adrenal metastasis (symptomatic disease or adenocarcinoma) may benefit from surgical resection.