In a surprising move, veteran soap star Tristan Rogers returned to General Hospital on the same day he publicly announced his cancer diagnosis. The actor, who played the role of Robert Scorpio for years on General Hospital,

Tristan Rogers brought Robert Scorpio back to General Hospital in a surprise appearance on July 18, one day after revealing he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Deadline reports a representative for the 79-year-old Rogers, who has played the role of Scorpio since 1980, said it’s a “challenging time.” USA Today reports the representative did not say what type of cancer Rogers has been diagnosed with.