Methods for Treating Humans Having Brain Cancer

A method of treating a human having brain cancer, the method comprising administering via a non-continuous dosing regimen to the human having brain cancer, a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a prodrug corresponding to structure (I):

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the non-continuous dosing regimen comprises administering the pharmaceutical composition no more frequently than once every seven days for at least two dosings, to thereby maintain sustained therapeutic levels of greater than 0.5 ng/mL of SN-38 in plasma in the human for at least 21 days between dosings.

A method for achieving extended therapeutic efficacy of irinotecan, the method comprising

• administering to a human having brain cancer, a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a prodrug corresponding to structure (I):
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the administering comprises administering the composition at a frequency of between once every 7 days to once every 30 days for at least two dosings, to thereby achieve for each of the at least two dosings an elimination half-life in plasma of SN-38 that exceeds 750 hours and greater than 0.5 ng/mL of SN-38 in plasma in the human for at least 21 days.