There are actual laws about whether people may or may not drive as a result of different medical conditions. These are covered by the 1988 Road Traffic Act and later regulations, including the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licence) Regulations of 1996.

The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency), which issues driving licenses, has set out general guidance for doctors about driving after the diagnosis of a number of different illnesses, where people could be a danger to themselves, or to other people, if they carried on driving.  These include many types of brain tumour.

The guidance varies depending on whether the person with the illness has a Group 1 entitlement (which includes driving cars and motor cycles) or a Group 2 entitlement (which includes driving large lorries and buses).

The regulations for people who have been found to have a brain tumour depend on the type of tumour. The following paragraphs summarise the regulations for the commonest types of brain tumour.

For low-grade gliomas (grade I or II gliomas, grade I or II astrocytomas) people with a Group 1 entitlement should usually not drive for a year and then the license should be reviewed. For people with a Group 2 entitlement the recommendation is that they should have their license permanently removed. One exception to this is those people whose low-grade glioma has not caused any symptoms, but the tumour was found by chance when some other medical condition was being investigated. In this situation it may be possible to continue a Group 1 entitlement, depending no the individual circumstances.

For high-grade gliomas (grade III or IV gliomas, grade III or IV astrocytomas, or glioblastoma multiforme) people with a Group 1 entitlement should usually not drive for at least two years after treatment and then the license should be reviewed, although some drivers may need a longer period before a review. For people with a Group 2 entitlement the recommendation is that they should have their license permanently removed.

For secondary brain tumours, that have spread to the brain from a cancer elsewhere in the body, people with a Group 1 entitlement should usually not drive for at least two years after treatment and then the license should be reviewed, although some drivers may need a longer period before a review. For people with a Group 2 entitlement the recommendation is that they should have their license permanently removed.

For tumours of the pituitary gland, provided there has been no loss of vision, then people with a Group 1 entitlement can start driving again as soon as they have recovered from treatment. The same applies to people with Group 2 entitlement, unless they have had an operation which involved cutting through their skull, as part of their treatment, in which case 6 months of driving after surgery is recommended.

So your husband should have a chat to his doctor to make sure exactly what type of brain tumour he had and what the chances are of him being able to drive again.