The article reviews the role of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in cancer and the potential of HDAC inhibitors as anticancer drugs. HDACs play a crucial role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, and their activity is tightly regulated by a balance between HDACs and histone acetyltransferases (HATs). HDAC inhibitors induce cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and cell death, reduce angiogenesis, and modulate immune response. The mechanisms of their anticancer effects vary depending on the cancer type, HDAC inhibitor, and dose. Several HDAC inhibitors, such as vorinostat, romidepsin, belinostat, and panobinostat, have been approved for treating specific types of cancers, while others are in clinical trials. The combination of HDAC inhibitors with other therapeutic modalities, particularly DNA-damaging compounds, shows promising results in preclinical and clinical studies. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of HDAC inhibitors and to optimize their use in combination therapies. The reversibility of epigenetic changes during cancer development highlights the potential of epigenetic therapies, but large-scale clinical studies are required to confirm their clinical benefits and tolerability.The article reviews the role of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in cancer and the potential of HDAC inhibitors as anticancer drugs. HDACs play a crucial role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, and their activity is tightly regulated by a balance between HDACs and histone acetyltransferases (HATs). HDAC inhibitors induce cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and cell death, reduce angiogenesis, and modulate immune response. The mechanisms of their anticancer effects vary depending on the cancer type, HDAC inhibitor, and dose. Several HDAC inhibitors, such as vorinostat, romidepsin, belinostat, and panobinostat, have been approved for treating specific types of cancers, while others are in clinical trials. The combination of HDAC inhibitors with other therapeutic modalities, particularly DNA-damaging compounds, shows promising results in preclinical and clinical studies. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of HDAC inhibitors and to optimize their use in combination therapies. The reversibility of epigenetic changes during cancer development highlights the potential of epigenetic therapies, but large-scale clinical studies are required to confirm their clinical benefits and tolerability.