Former Beatle George Harrison could have only amonth to live.
Harrison, 58, is reportedly undergoing revolutionary cancer treatment at a New York hospital.
It is believed he checked into the Staten Island University Hosital a week ago where Dr Gil Lederman, 48, claims he can double the survival rate of patients with inoperable cancer.
Dr Lederman's technique involves attacking tumours with extremely high doses of radiation.
Both Dr Lederman and the hospital have refused to confirm whether Harrison is a patient.
British reports claim Harrison checked in under the alias of George Arias, the maiden name of his second wife Olivia.
She is said to be by his side at the hospital.
"He is really very bad at this time," a friend told the Daily Mail.
"He thinks he has only got about a month left."
Asked if George Arias had been admitted, a hospital spokeswoman said: "We're just not offering a comment."
Dr Lederman said he could not discuss his patients but he said his treatment was often successful.
"It is a lottery but we believe we can double the survival rate," he said.
"People go out of the hospital and resume their normal lifestyle."
"There are some people who have progressive cancer and die, so we're not sitting here promising the moon. But there are people who do exceedingly well."
Harrison, a former heavy smoker, was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 1997.
A cancerous nodule was removed from his throat and two bouts of radiation therapy put the cancer into remission.
"I got is purely from smoking," Harrison said.
"I'm not going to die on you folks just yet. You are very lucky."
"Life is like a raindrop on a lotus leaf. Everybody realises that you're either a very lucky person or you're not."
Once a heavy smoker, Harrison overcame throat cancer three years ago and has had regular check-ups since.
This year, it was discovered he had developed lung cancer and had a cancerous growth removed in March.
Then, after convalescing in Tuscany, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and sought radiotherpay for the tumour at a clinic in Switzerland. He had cobalt ray treatment from Professor Franco Cavalli, a leading cancer expert based at the Sainta Giovanni Hospital in Bellinzona.
Dr Lederman's claims have provoked fierce debate among experts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Last year, he told Cardiff hairdresser Nick Harvey that he could treat him for an inoperable brain tumour.
Specialists at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey said the treatment was inappropriate and could actually make his problems worse.
Ignoring their advice, 38-year-old Mr Harvey spent $135,000 on a 12 week stay at the New York hospital.
After initial improvement, he fell ill again but had no regrets about the treatment.