Abstract
The case report describes a woman diagnosed with generalized malignant melanoma at 68years of age. Until then, she had not been treated for any serious disease.
Due to the poorprognosis, the patient started immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors, namelynivolumab (the monoclonal antibody targeted against the PD-1 receptor). This therapy leadsto higher activation of specific immune mechanisms, especially T cells.
Side effects of thistherapy include the induction of autoimmune inflammation. The patient experienced thiscomplication and manifested diabetic ketoacidosis less than 3 months after the beginning ofimmunotherapy.
Diabetes-associated autoantibodies were positive. The patient has since beenon an intensified insulin regimen with satisfactory diabetes control.
However, at the time ofdiabetes manifestation, laboratory signs of hepatic lesion (very likely of an autoimmune origintoo) occurred. The situation was resolved in accordance with oncological recommendationsby transient administration of corticosteroids, and immunotherapy was further contraindi-cated.
Although this therapy was in progress only for a short time, there was a significant re-gression of the cancer lesions, and a partial remission still persists.