Drug trials at an Auckland cancer centre are a gamble - but one people are willing to take

Auckland's Cancer Trial Centre is currently testing new treatments on 200 people with advanced or terminal cancer.

Medical Director Dr Sanjeev Deva says, in addition to traditional chemotherapy, immunotherapies are being used to manipulate the patient's immune system into fighting the cancer itself.

He says they learn from every patient, even those who don't respond well to the treatments.