We experimentally demonstrate a metamaterials (MMs)-based terahertz (THz) sensor to quickly distinguish the cancer tissues from normal tissues. The MMs-based THz sensor has two strong resonance absorption peaks at about 0.706 and 1.14 THz, respectively. When the sensor is covered with cancer tissues, the redshifts at about 0.706 and 1.14 THz are 31 and 19 GHz, respectively. However, if normal tissue is attached to the surface of the sensor, the corresponding redshifts are only 15 and 12 GHz, respectively. This study proposes a new method for quick diagnosis of early lung cancer and other cancers.