Cancer is a major public health problem in Tunisia with an increasing incidence that reached 20,000 new cases per year in 2020. Moreover, deaths related to a tumour cause, all tumours combined, is the leading cause of death in Tunisia since 2021. Despite the urgency of this situation, Tunisian patients suffer from delays in diagnosis and a lack of public resources for optimal care. In this work, we have tried to show the correlation between the delay in diagnosis and the increasing incidence of cancer and related deaths in the Tunisian population. Our study highlights the metastatic nature of tumours in a cohort of patients consulted in two public services, the Rabta Hospital as a regular service and the Salah Azaiz Institute as the national reference for the treatment of tumour diseases in Tunisia. The majority of patients presented with very advanced and metastatic cancers, although they came for an initial consultation. In addition, patients admitted to self-medicating with herbs, which complicates the disease. This snapshot of the situation is intended to alert the authorities to the delay in cancer diagnosis in Tunisia and it’s impact on public health.