Public health officials in Abitibi-Témiscamingue have reported that lung cancer incidence in Rouyn-Noranda is now below the regional average, according to data from 2019 to 2023.
The incidence rate of lung cancer in Rouyn-Noranda during that period was 123 cases per 100,000 people, compared to a regional average of 130 cases per 100,000 across Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
This marks a continued decline from earlier years, when the rate had peaked at 145 cases per 100,000 between 2010 and 2014 — a figure notably higher than most other communities in the region.
Between 2015 and 2019, the incidence had already begun to fall, reaching 121 cases per 100,000, before the latest update showed a slight increase to 123 in the most recent reporting window.
Health authorities attribute lung cancer risk to factors such as air pollution, tobacco apply and exposure to secondhand smoke, all of which remain under monitoring in the area.
The same data release also noted a downward trend in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. For 2022–2023, the incidence of COPD in Rouyn-Noranda was 7.6 cases per 1,000 people, below the regional average of 9.1 per 1,000.
These trends suggest ongoing improvements in respiratory health outcomes in the city, despite historical concerns linked to industrial air quality.
