Methods of determining prognosis in a subject with a hyperproliferative disease, including determining expression and/or function of 14-3-3 zeta in the subject, are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making a pharmaceutical agent that modulates apoptosis, including the steps of obtaining one or more candidate, testing the one or more candidate substances to determine their ability to modulate the expression and/or function of 14-3-3 zeta, selecting a candidate substance determined to modulate the expression and/or function of 14-3-3 zeta, and making a pharmaceutical composition that includes the selected candidate substance. In addition, methods of treating a subject with a hyperproliferative disease, including making a pharmaceutical agent by the methods set forth herein, and administering the pharmaceutical agent to a subject, are disclosed. The hyperproliferative disease can be cancer, such as breast cancer.