Background. In 2005, following the government’s first cancer action plan, a comprehensive cancer registry was established in northern France, within the Lille Local Health Authority (ZPL) region. The objective of this study is to assess the completeness of the registry’s first year of recording new cancer cases (2005) and to compare the observed incidence in the ZPL with the estimated incidence for all of France. Methods. Completeness was assessed based on the average number of reporting sources per case, the percentage of histological verification, and an independent case verification method (mortality-to-incidence ratio). Direct standardization to the global population was performed to calculate the ratios of standardized incidence rates for the ZPL versus all of France. Analyses were conducted for 21 cancer sites. Results. In 2005, 3,635 invasive cancers were recorded by the registry. The average number of sources per case was 2.7, and 91.4% of cases had undergone histocytological validation. Mortality-to-incidence ratios indicated good data completeness in men for most cancer sites. In women, for certain cancer sites where case numbers were low, the data will need to be confirmed in subsequent years of incidence. A lack of completeness was found for cutaneous melanomas. In men, an excess incidence was identified for cancers of the lip, mouth, and pharynx; larynx; esophagus; lung; liver; bladder; kidney; and colon and rectum. In women, an excess incidence was identified for cancers of the lip, mouth, and pharynx; liver; bladder; colon and rectum; uterine body; and ovaries. Conclusion. The first year of validated incidence data from the General Cancer Registry of Lille and its region shows adequate completeness of records for the criteria studied. Comparison with national data reveals an excess incidence of tobacco- and alcohol-related cancers in the geographic area covered by the registry. The incidence of lip, mouth, and pharynx cancers among men is the highest among metropolitan registries.