Robin Gibb, a member of the BeeGees singing group, was hospitalized recently for complications related to liver cancer, a diagnosis that was made several months ago, according to several publications.
Gibb, 61, was reportedly hospitalized last week and released later in the day.
Gibb's wife, Dwina Murphy-Gibb, an ordained druid priestess, said in an interview with Sky Arts TV that she's looking into alternative treatments for her husband, including "spider medicine," a type of Native American healing approach.
According to the website , which was created by Loretta Standley, a licensed acupuncturist and tribal member of the Cherokee Indians, spider medicine is a type of "animal medicine," which refers to the "healing aspects that a particular animal brings to our consciousness."
"As best I can tell, spider medicine is not medicine," said Mark Boguski, MD, co-founder of the blog, which also appears on 鶹ý. "However, there may be psychosocial benefits in the context of palliative treatment."
He added that the American Cancer Society (ACS) says there is, "no scientific evidence to support claims that Native American healing can cure cancer or any other disease."
The does acknowledge, however, that "the communal support provided by this approach to healthcare can have some worthwhile physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits."
The youngest Gibb brother, Andy, died at age 30 in 1988 from heart failure related to a drug addiction, and Robin's twin brother Maurice died in 2003 at age 53 after undergoing surgery to correct an intestinal blockage.