"Don't delay" - Greenock man tells others to get checked after cancer diagnosis

A man from Greenock is encouraging others to seek medical advice without delay, after being diagnosed with testicular cancer while on holiday with his girlfriend last year.

Darren Orr, 33, was in Gran Canaria with his partner when he began experiencing pain, something he initially chose to ignore. However, after returning home - newly engaged - and with symptoms worsening, he was encouraged by his partner to get checked.

“I was embarrassed at the start," he told Clyde 1. "Naturally, in the back of your mind you think, it'll go away, it'll pass. When we were away in Gran Canaria, the pain was just getting so much that my girlfriend pushed me to go get checked as soon as I was home."

That decision proved crucial.

Darren was diagnosed on 31 July 2025 and underwent surgery the following month, followed by chemotherapy treatment.

Following surgery in August, Darren began chemotherapy six weeks later, undergoing an intensive course of treatment over several weeks, including multiple inpatient stays.

“It was tough, especially at the beginning when I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “But the support I received really helped me through.”

While receiving treatment at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Darren found comfort not only from clinical staff but also from volunteers - including one who had experienced the same diagnosis.

“On my first day, I really struggled,” he said. “But I got chatting to one of the Beatson Cancer Charity ward volunteers who had been through exactly the same thing. Hearing his experience helped me deal with my own.”

After completing treatment, Darren received the news he had hoped for — he was in remission by the end of December.

“I found out on 30 December, which was a great way to go into the New Year,” he said. “Now I’m feeling brilliant.”

He added:

"Now we can plan our future because our whole lives were on hold, and I think going from the high of being newly engaged to the devastation of a cancer diagnosis, it turned our worlds upside down. But now we can at least plan for the future and look forward to our lives."

Darren hopes that sharing his story during Testicular Cancer Awareness Month will encourage others - particularly young men - to take action if something doesn’t feel right.

He told Clyde 1:

“The only times I'd heard about testicular cancer was when someone famous had been diagnosed with it. So it's just trying to raise awareness that it can happen to anybody, but early detection matters at the end of the day."

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