A method of determining sensitivity of a neoplastic cell to a Hec1 inhibitor in the evaluation of a neoplastic disease, comprising: using a sample from a patient comprising a neoplastic cell or neoplastic cells; forming a detectable complex of each of Hec1, Rb, and p53, wherein the each of Hec1, Rb, and p53 is derived from the sample; using the detectable complex of Hec1 to determine expression level of Hec1, using the detectable complex of Rb to determine the status of Rb, and using the detectable complex of p53 to determine the status of p53, to obtain a test result; and comparing the test result with a reference result of a non-neoplastic cell that includes expression level of Hec1, status of Rb, and status of p53 of the non-neoplastic cell to thereby predict sensitivity of the neoplastic cell to the Hec1 inhibitor, wherein an increased expression level of Hec1 relative to the corresponding reference result and a mutated or deleted form of each of Rb and p53 relative to the corresponding reference result are indicative of sensitivity of the neoplastic cell to the Hec1 inhibitor; and wherein the Hec1 inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of N-(4-(4-isopropoxy-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, 2-fluoro-N-(4-(4-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(5-(2-methoxyethoxy)pyrazin-2-yloxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(5-(2-methoxyethoxy)pyrazin-2-ylthio)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, and N-(4-(4-(5-(2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy)pyrazin-2-ylthio)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, and their salt forms. using a sample from a patient comprising a neoplastic cell or neoplastic cells; forming a detectable complex of each of Hec1, Rb, and p53, wherein the each of Hec1, Rb, and p53 is derived from the sample; using the detectable complex of Hec1 to determine expression level of Hec1, using the detectable complex of Rb to determine the status of Rb, and using the detectable complex of p53 to determine the status of p53, to obtain a test result; and comparing the test result with a reference result of a non-neoplastic cell that includes expression level of Hec1, status of Rb, and status of p53 of the non-neoplastic cell to thereby predict sensitivity of the neoplastic cell to the Hec1 inhibitor, wherein an increased expression level of Hec1 relative to the corresponding reference result and a mutated or deleted form of each of Rb and p53 relative to the corresponding reference result are indicative of sensitivity of the neoplastic cell to the Hec1 inhibitor; and wherein the Hec1 inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of N-(4-(4-isopropoxy-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, 2-fluoro-N-(4-(4-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(5-(2-methoxyethoxy)pyrazin-2-yloxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(5-(2-methoxyethoxy)pyrazin-2-ylthio)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, and N-(4-(4-(5-(2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy)pyrazin-2-ylthio)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, and their salt forms. N-(4-(4-isopropoxy-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, 2-fluoro-N-(4-(4-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(5-(2-methoxyethoxy)pyrazin-2-yloxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, N-(4-(4-(5-(2-methoxyethoxy)pyrazin-2-ylthio)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) isonicotinamide, and N-(4-(4-(5-(2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy)pyrazin-2-ylthio)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)isonicotinamide, and their salt forms.