Combination-based treatment method

1. A method of treating a patient having BRCA1-deficient breast cancer, the method comprising the steps of: (a) administering to the patient having BRCA1-deficient breast cancer, a PARP-inhibiting amount of rucaparib; and (b) administering to the patient a topoisomerase I-inhibiting amount of a long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor having a structure:

where each n is about 113;

or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient is human.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) is carried out prior to step (b) being carried out.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) is carried out after step (b) is carried out.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out simultaneously.

6. 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 rucaparib without any further administration of the long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein rucaparib is administered orally.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt form thereof, is administered parenterally.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt form thereof, is administered intravenously.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combination of rucaparib and the long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor, when evaluated in a mouse model for BRCA1-deficient breast cancer, demonstrates a synergistic effect.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the topoisomerase I-inhibiting amount of the long-acting topoisomerase I inhibitor is in a range of from about 30 mg/m 2 to about 200 mg/m 2 .