Combination-based treatment method

Abstract

The invention relates to (among other things) a method comprising the steps of (a) administering to a patient a PARP-inhibiting amount of a PARP inhibitor; and (b) administering to the patient a topoisomerase I-inhibiting amount of a long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising the steps of: (a) administering to a patient a PARP-inhibiting amount of a PARP inhibitor; and (b) administering to the patient a topoisomerase I-inhibiting amount of a long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient is suffering from a cancer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cancer is a solid cancer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the solid cancer is selected from the group consisting of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, malignant melanoma, liver cancer, small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, thyroid cancers, kidney cancer, cancer of the bile duct, brain cancer, cervical cancer, maxillary sinus cancer, bladder cancer, esophageal cancer, Hodgkin's disease, adrenocortical cancer and Ewing sarcoma. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cancer is ovarian cancer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the ovarian cancer is platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cancer is colorectal cancer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , is breast cancer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cancer is selected from group consisting of lymphoma cancers, leukemia cancers, rhabdomyosarcoma and neuroblastoma. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient is human. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) is carried out prior to step (b) being carried out. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (a) is carried out after step (b) is carried out. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out simultaneously. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of steps (a) and (b) are carried out at least twice, followed by a maintenance phase wherein the patient is administered a PARP-inhibiting amount of a PARP inhibitor without any further administration of the long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor.