DO, MPH
Associate Professor
UNC-Chapel Hill
Clinical Research
Hematology/Oncology
Area of Interest
Christopher Dittus, DO, MPH, specializes in the diagnosis and management of all types of lymphoma, including B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), T-cell NHL, Hodgkin lymphoma, central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma, and virus-associated lymphoma. Dittus is particularly interested in rare lymphomas, including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL), plasmablastic lymphoma, and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (Waldenstrom’s). Given the biological heterogeneity of lymphoma, Dittus works closely with the UNC hematopathologists to ensure each patient has an accurate diagnosis. Dittus also understands the importance of subtype-specific lymphoma treatment, and is interested in using novel immunotherapy, traditional chemotherapy, and combination regimens to target these specific subtypes.
Dittus is the primary investigator for many lymphoma trials that are open at UNC. He works closely with lymphoma advocacy groups, cancer research consortiums, industry, and the UNC clinical research department, to ensure our patients have access to novel treatments for all types of lymphoma.
His primary research interest is to find effective treatments for rare or underserved lymphomas. He is the UNC site PI for the AIDS Malignancy Consortium and serves as the PI on several studies that are evaluating novel therapies in HIV-associated malignancies. Dittus is also interested in writing investigator-initiated trials (IITs) that target underserved lymphoma subtypes. LCCC1637 is an IIT evaluating a novel frontline regimen (brentuximab vedotin with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, etoposide, and prednisone; BV-CHEP) for ATLL. Another IIT, LCCC1841, will evaluate a novel BTK inhibitor in relapsed CNS lymphoma. Dittus also serves as a co-investigator on multiple lymphoma trials evaluating chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Most recently, Dittus has been the editor, and contributor, for a book entitled “Novel Therapeutics for Rare Lymphomas.”
