A collection of readily reproducible experimental methods for studying the subversion of normal cell signaling that leads to cancer. Presented in step-by-step detail to ensure successful results, the methods include proven techniques for the investigation of apoptosis and cell death, complementary protocols for manipulating and/or monitoring oncogenic signals in cancer cells, and techniques for studying protein-protein interactions. A detailed protocol for capturing pure samples of malignant cells from frozen tissue specimens and two alternative techniques for analyzing their genomic DNA is also described.