DO, MPH
Associate Professor, Hematology/Oncology
Clinical Director, Lymphoma Program
UNC-Chapel Hill
Clinical Research
Area of Interest
Specialties: Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia, IgM Monoclonal Gammopathies, Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma, Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder, HIV-Associated Lymphoma, Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma, and Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma
Christopher Dittus, DO, MPH, is the clinical director of the lymphoma program at UNC and specializes in the diagnosis and management of all types of lymphoma, including B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), T-cell NHL, and Hodgkin lymphoma. More specifically, Dittus has focused on the diagnosis and treatment of several rare lymphoma subtypes, including Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM), IgM monoclonal gammopathies, primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders, and virus-associated lymphomas. Dittus has aimed to provide clinical trials for these rare lymphoma subtypes.
Dittus’ major research interest is in WM and associated IgM-related disorders. He is active in the WM-NET clinical trial group, participated in the 12th International Workshop on Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (IWWM) and is listed in the International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF) physician directory as a WM specialist. Dittus is particularly interested in immunotherapy for the treatment of WM and is collaborating with investigators in the WM-NET to evaluate the efficacy of epcoritamab for the treatment of WM. Additionally, Dittus works closely with the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy program at UNC to enroll WM patients on CAR-T trials.
Dittus also treats PCNSL, which requires complex treatment by an experienced team of providers. While treatments have improved significantly over the years, patients with early relapse require better treatment options. Considering this, Dittus developed an investigator-initiated trial (IIT) evaluating the BTK-inhibitor acalabrutinib for the treatment of relapsed PCNSL.
Finally, Dittus has been interested in viral causes of cancer, and served as the AIDS Malignancy Consortium Principal Investigator at UNC for six years. During this time, he focused on accruing HIV+ patients to clinical trials. Additionally, he completed an IIT evaluating a novel frontline regimen, BV-CHEP, for the treatment of an exceedingly rare lymphoma, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, which is caused by the retrovirus HTLV-1. This clinical trial was one of the only frontline clinical trials for this disease in the US and showed that with BV-CHEP and allogeneic transplant, patients can achieve long-term survival.
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