We reviewed the relative incidence of histological sub-types of thyroid carcinoma at St. Vincent's Hospital between 1970 and 98 Vol. 162 No. 3 1991 and compared survival rates. The findings were compared with previous reports between 1946 and 1970.Patients with thyroid carcinoma from 1970 through 1991 were identified and pathological and clinical data retrieved.Of 141 patients identified, 113 were female and 28 male. Fiftyseven patients had papillary, 41 follicular, 24 anaplastic and 6 medullary carcinoma. There were 10 lymphomas and 3 thryoid metastases. The 10-year actuarial disease-free survival for papinary carcinoma was 93%, follicular 80% and medullary 37%. The median overall survival for anaplastic carcinoma was 5 months. The number of cases seen increased from 2.2 per year between 1946 -1965 to 7.6 per year between 1982-1991 . From 1946to 1991 the relative incidence of papillary carcinoma increased from 19% to 57%.Of interest is the change in relative incidence of the histological sub-types. Follicular carcinoma is associated with endemic goitre and increased iodine intake may explain its reduced incidence. Increased radiation may explain the increase in papillary carcinoma. There is a need for a National Tumour Registry to see if this local trend is reflected nationally. PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES AS PROGNOSTIC MARKERS IN BREAST CANCER