However, Eddie, who beat the cancer in 2002, blamed the disease on holding a metal guitar pick in his mouth over the years.

Conatctmusic.com reports Bertinelli as saying: "The guy has mouth cancer, gets part of his tongue cut out, and he still insists cigarettes have nothing to do with it.

"You should have seen the guy (alternative medicine practitioner) he attributes his 'cure' to. They sat around drinking and smoking in our hotel room. But, well, cancer hasn't come back yet, so who am I to say... There was so much denial."

Bartinelli, who divorced Van Halen in 2007 after 26 years of marriage, says he is a "good man".

She added: "He's got issues that he needs to deal with and I hope he will. No one else can bring him out of what he's in but himself."