An Auckland father of three is facing an $8000 bill every three weeks just to keep himself alive after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

Baden Ngan Kee isn't entitled to the life-saving drug Keytruda, as it's not funded for lung cancer, and is forced to self-fund the medication.

In February last year, an application was lodged with Pharmac calling for the life-extending drug to be funded for lung cancer as well as melanoma, which it currently covers. 

Speaking with Mike Hosking this morning, Baden Ngan Kee said Pharmac is still asking for information despite the drug being funded for lung cancer in many other countries.

"It is one of the most researched drug in the entire world. There are over 4000 patients on clinical trials, over 30 different cancers have been treated with it. It is a proven drug particularly for melanoma and lung cancer."

He said the drug is still relatively new but is being labelled as a "possible cure for cancer".

"Researchers say this may be the penicillin for the war cancer, this may be the cure for cancer, this could be the start of the revolution on cancer."

Keytruda works differently to the traditional "cut, burn and poison" approach to treating cancer, he said.

"It works on the basis that everyone every day has defective cells in the body and most people are able to deal with them, and flush out the bad cells."

"But for some reason cancer patients are different and their immune systems become compromised and the cancers are able to get around it."

"What Keyrruda is able to do is shine a light on cancer cells and re-awaken your own immune system."

Baden Ngan Kee said the drug has been life-changing. 

"In April I was sent home to die with no conventional treatments available to me."

"Then they offered me Keytruda (but I have to pay for it). After two months I started responding and now at this point in time, I only have two tumours in my brain but in April I had 30."

LISTEN ABOVE AS BADEN NGAN KEE SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING