'All My Children' actor Colin Egglesfield says cancer returned, undergoes surgery

Soap star Colin Egglesfield is opening up about his ongoing battle with cancer.

The actor, who is best known for his work on shows like "All My Children" and "Melrose Place," shared in an Instagram post Thursday that he had recently undergone surgery for prostate cancer.

"Thankfully, we caught my prostate cancer early and after a year of doing a lot of research and talking to quite a few health care professionals, I elected to be proactive and have surgery," wrote the "Something Borrowed" star, now a Hallmark regular.

"Hopefully this is a reminder to everyone that you're not alone with whatever you're facing and that it's important to advocate for yourself and your health which includes checkups, seeking information and asking for help when you need it!" said the actor, who played Auggie Kirkpatrick on "Melrose" and Josh Madden on "All My Children."

Prostate cancer is one of the most common varieties of cancer, the Mayo Clinic reports. The severity varies as some cases do not require and others are aggressive, spreading quickly across the gland. Around one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.

This is not Egglesfield's first time facing down a deadly disease. In 2006, the actor was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Egglesfield revealed in the post that he had been receiving treatment at the City of Hope cancer treatment center in Phoenix and thanked the doctors, nurses and other staff for being "instrumental in supporting me through this scary time."

"Each day I'm getting healthier and stronger," the actor wrote, "I'm still a bit sore but I’m making progress and am determined to come back stronger and healthier than ever especially with the help of my sexy walker."

Fellow Hallmark star Andrew Walker voiced his support, commenting, "You're such an inspiration buddy. So happy you’re on the other side of this. Up up from here!!"

Actress Elisabeth Röhm echoed that sentiment, writing, "Sending you so much love" with a heart emoji, and reality star and former soap actress Chrishell Stause commented, "Omg I'm so so sorry! It's not fair! I know how tough you are but I am so sorry you have to keep proving that. I'm sending you SO much love."

Egglesfield acknowledged that the most recent round of treatment had not been easy but that there was still hope for the future.

"The beginning to this year hasn't been the easiest," he wrote. "This is another opportunity to decide who I choose to be in the face of uncertainty and challenges in my most recent cancer diagnosis."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colin Egglesfield reveals prostate cancer battle