Immunotherapy is a widely used treatment modality in oncology.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors, as a part of
immunotherapy, caused a revolution in oncology, especially in
melanoma therapy, due to the significant prolongation of patients' overall survival. These drugs act by activation of inhibited immune responses of T lymphocytes against
cancer cells. The mechanism responsible for the
therapy's high efficacy is also involved in immune tolerance of the patient's own tissues. The administration of ICI
therapy to a patient can cause severe immune reactions against non-neoplastic cells. Among them,
cardiotoxicity seems most important due to the high mortality rate. In this article, we present the history of a 79 year-old patient diagnosed with
melanoma who died due to
myocarditis induced by ICI
therapy, despite the fast administration of recommended immunosuppressive therapy, as an illustration of possible adverse events of ICI. Additionally, we summarize the mechanism, risk factors,
biomarkers, and clinical data from currently published guidelines and studies about ICI-related
myocarditis. The fast recognition of this fatal adverse effect of
therapy may accelerate the rapid introduction of treatment and improve patients' outcomes.