'General Hospital' actor diagnosed with cancer: reports

(NEXSTAR) — Tristan Rogers, well-known for his role as Robert Scorpio on "General Hospital," has been diagnosed with cancer, according to a statement shared with multiple outlets.

Rogers, 79, "remains hopeful and is working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan," the statement, shared by his representatives to Deadline and Soap Opera Digest on Thursday, reads. The actor and his family are asking "for privacy and understanding" while facing "both the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis."

Rogers' representatives did not specify the type of cancer with which he had been diagnosed.

"Tristan sends his love to his fans and wants them to know how much he appreciates their loyalty and encouragement over the years. This support means more to him now than ever," Thursday's statement continued. "Future updates will be shared if deemed appropriate by Tristan and his family."

Fans of "General Hospital" have not seen Rogers' character, Robert Scorpio, since November of last year, according to Soap Opera Digest. During that episode, he and his ex-wife, Holly Sutton (played by Emma Samms), leave Port Charles.

Rogers has appeared in more than 1,400 episodes of "General Hospital" since 1980, his IMDb page shows. He has also acted on dozens of episodes of "The Bay" as Commissioner Lex Martin and "The Young and the Restless" as Colin Atkinson.

His other credits include "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Fast Track," "The Rescuers Down Under" and "The Box." For his role as Doc on "Studio City," Rogers won a Daytime Emmy.

Earlier this year, fellow "General Hospital" actor Leslie Charleson died after “sequelae of blunt head trauma,” the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office said in February. Authorities did not say what may have caused the "blunt head trauma," but Variety had reported Charleson had been hospitalized following a recent fall and after a series of “health ups and downs over the past few years.”