AceShowbiz - Eminem's estranged mother Debbie Nelson is reportedly terminally ill with lung cancer, but the rapper may not be aware of it. The Slim Shady is said to have not communicated with his mom or other family members for "years."

A source tells In Touch that Debbie is "terminally ill with advanced lung cancer," but the Detroit emcee has not been to St. Joseph, Missouri to see her. "There are not many options [for Debbie]," the source says. "She is currently staying between the cancer center and with family members. She has a very limited amount of time [left]."

The "Without Me" spitter is said to have been supporting Debbie financially, but has not communicated with her or his other family members in Missouri for "years." He allegedly has "trust issues" with members of his family following a 2005 incident where the rapper was sued by his aunt and uncle, who claimed he tried to evict them from their home.

"People around her aren't even sure if Eminem is even aware of what is happening to his mother," the so-called insider adds. "He's good to his mom. He makes sure he takes care of her, but they don't really talk. It would be good for both of them [to communicate]. This could give them the chance to reconcile."

Further adding strain to their relationship, Debbie once also sued her son Eminem for defamation over song lyrics that insinuated she did drugs. She was granted $25,000 of the $11 million she asked for in the lawsuit, but only walked away with about $1,600 after legal fees.

Debbie, however, didn't lose hope for reconciliation with her son. "I'm not ever gonna give up on my kids," Debbie, who also has a son named Nathan, told Village Voice in 2008 while promoting her memoir "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem". "There's hope for everybody. It's a matter of just basically swallowing your pride."

Debbie, who was battling breast cancer at the time of the book's release, said she wrote the autobiography to "jog [Eminem's] memory about the happy times" in their life. "I'm a very proud mother," she claimed. "I don't think there's anything he can do to me that he hasn't already done through the media."