To estimate the cancer incidence in the middle and southern part of the province of Limburg and to compare these rates with results of the Eindhoven Cancer Registry (IKZ/SOOZ), we carried out a descriptive investigation in the regional cancer registry Comprehensive Cancer Centre Limburg (IKL). The IKL has started a cancer registry in the province of Limburg in the framework of the national cancer registry. Since 1986 all hospitals and pathological laboratories in the area make their data available to the IKL cancer registry. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated using the European Standard Population. The incidence rate for all malignancies combined over 1986-1988 was 406.3 per 100,000 per year in males and 273.0 per 100,000 per year in females. These incidence rates are very similar to the rates calculated by the Eindhoven Cancer Registry for the years 1983-86. However, the incidence rates are lower in the IKL area for malignancies of the stomach (males, females), bladder (males, females) and ovary. The incidence rates are higher for malignancies of the lung (females), pleura (males) and for 'primary tumor unknown' (males). The incidence rates of the IKL cancer registry correspond very closely to the rates of the Eindhoven cancer registry. However, differences in published mortality rates of both regions compared with the remaining part of the Netherlands suggest that the incidence rates in males differ from the Netherlands as a whole.