Joe Frazier fighting liver cancer, in hospice

(CBS) Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier faced all sorts of opponents during his career, but his latest opponent may prove the toughest. The boxing legend was diagnosed with liver cancer several weeks ago and has entered hospice care in Phliadelphia, his manager said on Saturday, Reuters reported.

"He's in serious shape," a source close to the 67-year-old ex-champ told the New York Post. "They're only giving him a short time to live."

No details were given as to what kind of cancer Frazier has. But hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for most cases of liver cancer. It's more common in men than in women and is usually seen in people age 50 or older.

Other types of liver cancer include bile duct cancer, angiosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and hepatoblastoma, a very fare form found primarily in children, according to the website of the American Cancer Society.

The prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma is poor. The tumor can be surgically removed in just 10 percent to 20 percent of cases. If the cancer cannot be removed completely, the disease usually proves fatal within six months.

But Frazier hasn't thrown in the towel just yet.

"We are doing everything we can," Frazier's manager, Leslie Wolff, told Reuters. "Joe is a fighter. Joe doesn't give up."