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Matthew F. Covington
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Matthew F. Covington, MD

Languages spoken: English

  • Dr. Covington is an expert in cancer imaging, with a specific career focus on improving early detection and accurate staging of breast cancer. Dr. Covington is a dual-subspecialist in breast imaging and nuclear radiology. Prior to joining the University of Utah, Dr. Covington completed a Breast and PET oncologic imaging fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and thereafter joined the radiology faculty at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the Washington University in St. Louis. In 2019, Dr. Covington joined the faculty at the University of Utah Department of Medical Imaging and the Huntsman Cancer Institute Center for Quantitative Cancer Imaging with a joint clinical and research appointment.

    Dr. Covington has been named among the “Ones to Watch” by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and has been awarded a prestigious 5 For the Fight fellowship for his work in molecular imaging of breast cancer. Dr. Covington is a principal investigator on a clinical trial evaluating 18F-Fluoroestradiol (FES) PET/CT imaging for individuals with invasive lobular carcinoma. Dr. Covington is also a principal investigator and collaborator on several other research studies at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, including work with CT-based body composition analysis for colon and renal cancers, circulating tumor DNA analysis, and evaluation of other novel and emerging PET imaging tracers to include FFNP-PET. Dr. Covington has unique experience with new and emerging breast imaging technologies that have led to multiple presentations and peer-reviewed publications on technologies such as contrast-enhanced mammography and molecular breast imaging.

    Specialties

    Board Certification

    American Board of Radiology
    American Board of Radiology (Nuclear Radiology)

  • Dr. Covington is an expert in cancer imaging, with a specific career focus on improving early detection and accurate staging of breast cancer. Dr. Covington is a dual-subspecialist in breast imaging and nuclear radiology. Prior to joining the University of Utah, Dr. Covington completed a Breast and PET oncologic imaging fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and thereafter joined the radiology faculty at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the Washington University in St. Louis. In 2019, Dr. Covington joined the faculty at the University of Utah Department of Medical Imaging and the Huntsman Cancer Institute Center for Quantitative Cancer Imaging with a joint clinical and research appointment.

    Dr. Covington has been named among the “Ones to Watch” by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and has been awarded a prestigious 5 For the Fight fellowship for his work in molecular imaging of breast cancer. Dr. Covington is a principal investigator on a clinical trial evaluating 18F-Fluoroestradiol (FES) PET/CT imaging for individuals with invasive lobular carcinoma. Dr. Covington is also a principal investigator and collaborator on several other research studies at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, including work with CT-based body composition analysis for colon and renal cancers, circulating tumor DNA analysis, and evaluation of other novel and emerging PET imaging tracers to include FFNP-PET. Dr. Covington has unique experience with new and emerging breast imaging technologies that have led to multiple presentations and peer-reviewed publications on technologies such as contrast-enhanced mammography and molecular breast imaging.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Radiology & Imaging Sciences -Primary
    Internal Medicine -Adjunct
    Academic Divisions Oncology
    Board Certification
    American Board of Radiology
    American Board of Radiology (Nuclear Radiology)

    Education history

    Fellowship Women’s Imaging - Mayo Clinic Fellow
    Fellowship Nuclear Radiology - University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson Fellow
    Residency Diagnostic Radiology - University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson Resident
    Internship Scripps Mercy Hospital Transitional Internship
    Professional Medical Medicine - University of Utah School of Medicine M.D.
    Other Training Intramural Research Training Award Program - National Institutes of Health Postbaccalaureate Studies
    Undergraduate Psychology - Brigham Young University B.S.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Covington MF (2024). Maximizing breast cancer detection through screening: a comparative analysis of imaging-based approaches. . Clin Breast Cancer.
    2. Ferre R, Covington MF, Kuzmiak CM (2024). Meta-analysis: Radial Scar and Breast MRI. Acad Radiol. ()
    3. Covington MF, Salmon S, Weaver BD, Fajardo LL (2023). State-of-the-art for contrast-enhanced mammography. Br J Radiol, 97(1156), 695-704. ()
    4. Surasi DS, Eiber M, Maurer T, Preston MA, Helfand BT, Josephson D, Tewari AK, Somford DM, Rais-Bahrami S, Koontz BF, Bostrom PJ, Chau A, Davis P, Schuster DM, Chapin BF, LIGHTHOUSE Study Group (2023). Diagnostic Performance and Safety of Positron Emission Tomography with (18)F-rhPSMA-7.3 in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Unfavourable Intermediate- to Very-high-risk Prostate Cancer: Results from a Phase 3, Prospective, Multicentre Study (LIGHTHOUSE). Eur Urol, 84(4), 361-370. ()
    5. Jani AB, Ravizzini GC, Gartrell BA, Siegel BA, Twardowski P, Saltzstein D, Fleming MT, Chau A, Davis P, Chapin BF, Schuster DM, SPOTLIGHT Study Group (2023). Diagnostic Performance and Safety of (18)F-rhPSMA-7.3 Positron Emission Tomography in Men With Suspected Prostate Cancer Recurrence: Results From a Phase 3, Prospective, Multicenter Study (SPOTLIGHT). J Urol, 210(2), 299-311. ()
    6. Covington MF, Hoffman JM, Morton KA, Buckway B, Boucher KM, Rosenthal R, Porretta J, Brownson KE, Matsen CB, Vaklavas C, Ward JH, Wei M, Buys SS, Chittoria N, Yakish ED, Archibald ZG, Burrell LD, Butterfield RI, Yap JT (2023). Prospective Pilot Study of (18)F-Fluoroestradiol PET/CT in Patients With Invasive Lobular Carcinomas. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 221(2), 228-239. ()
    7. Covington MF (2022). Estimate of the Number of Breast Cancers Undetected by Screening Mammography in Individuals with Dense Breast Tissue. Archives of Breast Cancer, 9(4), 512-514.
    8. Eshghi A, Covington MF, Eshghi N, Kuo PH (2022). Utility of PET to Appropriately Select Patients for PSMA-Targeted Theranostics. Clin Nucl Med, 47(6), 488-495. ()
    9. Covington MF, Parent EE, Dibble EH, Rauch GM, Fowler AM (2021). Advances and Future Directions in Molecular Breast Imaging. J Nucl Med, 63(1), 17-21. ()
    10. Covington MF, Mrose HE, Brown M (2022). At Which Mean Glandular Dose Does the Benefit of Breast Cancer Deaths Averted Equal the Risk of Lives Lost to Screening From Radiation-induced Malignancy for Mammography With and Without Tomosynthesis? J Breast Imaging, 4(1), 25-30. ()
    11. Poplack SP, Young CA, Hagemann IS, Luo J, Herman CR, Wiele K, Li S, Zeng Y, Covington MF, Zhu Q (2021). Prospective assessment of adjunctive ultrasound-guided diffuse optical tomography in women undergoing breast biopsy: Impact on BI-RADS assessments. Eur J Radiol, 145, 110029. ()
    12. Zhu Q, Ademuyiwa FO, Young C, Appleton C, Covington MF, Ma C, Sanati S, Hagemann IS, Mostafa A, Uddin KMS, Grigsby I, Frith AE, Hernandez-Aya LF, Poplack SS (2021). Early Assessment Window for Predicting Breast Cancer Neoadjuvant Therapy using Biomarkers, Ultrasound, and Diffuse Optical Tomography. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 188(3), 615-630. ()
    13. Binneboese A, Covington MF, Horn KP, Archibald ZG, Boucher KM, Morton KA, Hoffman JM (2021). Correlation between FDG-PET uptake and survival in patients with primary brain tumors. Am J Nucl Med Mol Imaging, 11(3), 196-206. ()
    14. Lundeen TF, Covington M, Krupinski EA, Avery R, Lei H, Sherman SJ, Kuo PH (2019). Accuracy of Dopamine Transporter Imaging with 123I-Ioflupane in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Patients. J Nucl Med Technol, 48(2), 154-157. ()
    15. Brown M, Covington MF (2019). Comparative Benefit-to-Radiation Risk Ratio of Molecular Breast Imaging, Two-Dimensional Full-Field Digital Mammography with and without Tomosynthesis, and Synthetic Mammography with Tomosynthesis. Radiol Imaging Cancer, 1(1), e190005. ()
    16. Yang M, Covington MF, Nguyen BD, Johnson GB, Mesa RA, Roarke MC (2018). 99mTc-Sulfur Colloid Bone Marrow Scintigraphy in Diagnosis of Diffuse Pulmonary Extramedullary Hematopoiesis Secondary to Myelofibrosis. J Nucl Med Technol, 46(4), 368-372. ()
    17. Lundeen TF, Seibyl JP, Covington MF, Eshghi N, Kuo PH (2018). Signs and Artifacts in Amyloid PET. Radiographics, 38(7), 2123-2133. ()
    18. Hilal T, Covington M, Kosiorek HE, Zwart C, Ocal IT, Pockaj BA, Northfelt DW, Patel BK (2018). Breast MRI phenotype and background parenchymal enhancement may predict tumor response to neoadjuvant endocrine therapy. Breast J, 24(6), 1010-1014. ()
    19. Patel BK, Covington M, Pizzitola VJ, Lorans R, Giurescu M, Eversman W, Lewin J (2018). Initial Experience of Tomosynthesis-Guided Vacuum-Assisted Biopsies of Tomosynthesis-Detected (2D Mammography and Ultrasound Occult) Architectural Distortions. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 210(6), 1395-1400. ()
    20. Patel BK, Hilal T, Covington M, Zhang N, Kosiorek HE, Lobbes M, Northfelt DW, Pockaj (2018). Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography is Comparable to MRI in the Assessment of Residual Breast Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy. . Ann Surg Oncol, 25(5), 1350-1356.
    21. Covington MF, Choudhary G, Jedd, AS, Sharma P, Nael K, Krupinski EA, Khan R (2017). Feasibility study of flow compensation to improve diagnostic quality of T1 post contrast spin echo MRI through the posterior fossa. Int J Health Sci, 5, 31-5.
    22. Covington MF (2016). A Graduate's Perspective on the ABR Dual Certification Pathway in Nuclear Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology. J Am Coll Radiol, 13(11), 1369-1370. ()
    23. Covington MF, Choudhary G, Avery RJ, Krupinski EA, Kuo PH (2016). Optimal Time Points for Scintigraphic Imaging of Pleuroperitoneal Shunts. Clin Nucl Med, 41(10), 766-8.
    24. Covington MF, McMillan NA, Kuo PH (2016). Impact of Reimbursement Cuts on the Sustainability and Accessibility of Dopamine Transporter Imaging. J Am Coll Radiol, 13(9), 1039-43. ()
    25. Petkovska I, Martin DR, Covington MF, Urbina S, Duke E, Daye ZJ, Stolz LA, Keim SM, Costello JR, Chundru S, Arif-Tiwari H, Gilbertson-Dahdal D, Gries L, Kalb B (2016). Accuracy of Unenhanced MR Imaging in the Detection of Acute Appendicitis: Single-Institution Clinical Performance Review. Radiology, 279(2), 451-60. ()
    26. Covington MF, Sherman S, Lewis D, Lei H, Krupinski E, Kuo PH (2015).  Patient Survey on Satisfaction and Impact of 123I-Ioflupane Dopamine Transporter Imaging. . PLoS One, 10(7), e0134457.
    27. Covington MF (2015). ACR: What every radiology resident should know (and do). J Am Coll Radiol, 13, 109-10.
    28. Covington MF, Krupinski E, Avery RJ, Kuo PH (2014). Classification schema of symptomatic enterogastric reflux utilizing sincalide augmentation on hepatobiliary scintigraphy. . J Nucl Med Technol, 42(3), 198-202.
    29. Covington MF, McMillan NA, Avery RJ, Kuo PH (2013).  The semicolon sign: dopamine transporter imaging artifact from head tilt. . J Nucl Med Technol, 41(2), 105-7.
    30. Covington MF, Agan DL, Liu Y, Johnson JO, Shaw DJ (2013). Teaching cost-conscious medicine: impact of a simple educational intervention on appropriate abdominal imaging at a community-based teaching hospital. J Grad Med Educ, 5(2), 284-8.
    31. Grillon C, Chavis C, Covington MF, Pine DS (2009). Two-week treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram reduces contextual anxiety but not cued fear in healthy volunteers: a fear-potentiated startle study. Neuropsychopharmacology, 34(4), 964-71. ()
    32. Cornwell BR, Echiverri AM, Covington MF, Grillon C (2008). Modality-specific attention under imminent but not remote threat of shock: evidence from differential prepulse inhibition of startle. Psychol Sci, 19(6), 615-22. ()
    33. Grillon C, Duncko R, Covington MF, Kopperman L, Kling MA (2007). Acute stress potentiates anxiety in humans. Biol Psychiatry, 62(10), 1183-6. ()

    Review

    1. Salem AE, Shah HR, Covington MF, Koppula BR, Fine GC, Wiggins RH, Hoffman JM, Morton KA (2022). PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology: I. Hematologic Malignancies. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 14(23). ()
    2. Salem AE, Fine GC, Covington MF, Koppula BR, Wiggins RH, Hoffman JM, Morton KA (2022). IV. Gynecologic and Genitourinary Malignancies. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 14(12), 3000.
    3. Salem AE, Fine GC, Covington MF, Koppula BR, Wiggins RH, Hoffman JM, Morton KA (2022). PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology-IV. Gynecologic and Genitourinary Malignancies. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 14(12). ()
    4. Fine GC, Covington MF, Koppula BR, Salem AE, Wiggins RH, Hoffman JM, Morton KA (2022). VI. Primary Cutaneous Cancer, Sarcomas and Neuroendocrine Tumors. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 14(12), 2835.
    5. Fine GC, Covington MF, Koppula BR, Salem AE, Wiggins RH, Hoffman JM, Morton KA (2022). PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology-VI. Primary Cutaneous Cancer, Sarcomas and Neuroendocrine Tumors. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 14(12). ()
    6. Wiggins RH, Hoffman JM, Fine GC, Covington MF, Salem AE, Koppula BR, Morton KA (2022). PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology-V. Head and Neck and Neuro Oncology. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 14(11). ()
    7. Covington MF, Koppula BR, Fine GC, Salem AE, Wiggins RH, Hoffman JM, Morton KA (2022). PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology: II. Primary Thoracic and Breast Malignancies. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 14(11). ()
    8. Koppula BR, Fine GC, Salem AE, Covington MF, Wiggins RH, Hoffman JM, Morton KA (2022). PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology: III. Gastrointestinal Malignancies. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 14(11). ()
    9. Salem AE, Zaki YH, El-Hussieny G, ElNoueam KI, Shaaban AM, Koppula BR, Bustoros M, Salama M, Elsayes KM, Morton K, Covington MF (2021). An Overview of Selected Rare B-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorders: Imaging, Histopathologic, and Clinical Features. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 13(22). ()
    10. Salem AE, Zaki YH, El-Hussieny G, ElNoueam KI, Shaaban AM, Koppula BR, Yang M, Salama M, Elsayes KM, Covington MF (2021). Uncommon Variants of Mature T-Cell Lymphomas (MTCLs): Imaging and Histopathologic and Clinical Features with Updates from the Fourth Edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasms. [Review]. Cancers (Basel), 13(20). ()
    11. Covington MF, Pizzitola VJ, Lorans R, Pockaj BA, Northfelt DW, Appleton CM, Patel BK (2018). The Future of Contrast-Enhanced Mammography. [Review]. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 210(2), 292-300. ()
    12. Covington MF, Chin SS, Osborn AG (2011). Pituicytoma, spindle cell oncocytoma, and granular cell tumor: clarification and meta-analysis of the world literature since 1893. [Review]. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 32(11), 2067-72.

    Book Chapter

    1. Covington MF, Schwarz S, Hoffman JM (2021). The Regulatory and Reimbursement Process for Imaging Agents and Devices. . In In Ross and Gambhir (Eds.), Molecular Imaging: Principles and Practice (2). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
    2. Covington MF (2020). Contrast-enhanced mammography implementation, performance, and use for supplemental breast cancer screening. In Freer P (Ed.), Magnetic Resonance Imaging Clinics of North America (59, pp. 113-128). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
    3. Covington MF, Young CA, Appleton CM (2018). American College of Radiology Performance Metrics, Reimbursement, and Economic Considerations in Breast MR Imaging. In Leung JWT (Ed.), Current MR Imaging of Breast Cancer, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Clinics of North America (26, pp. 303-14). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Case Report

    1. Pandika V, Covington MF (2019). Incidental uptake in benign gynecomastia on 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT. Clin Nucl Med, 44(10), 799-800.
    2. Pandika V, Covington MF (2019). FDG PET/CT and ultrasound evaluation of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Clin Nucl Med, 45(1), 68-73.
    3. Covington MF, Curiel CN, Lattimore L, Avery RJ, Kuo PH (2017). FDG-PET/CT for Monitoring Response of Melanoma to the Novel Oncolytic Viral Therapy Talimogene Laherparepvec. Clin Nucl Med, 42(2), 114-115. ()
    4. Covington MF, Choudhary G, Avery RJ, Kuo PH (2016). Pitfalls in the Performance and Interpretation of Scintigraphic Imaging for Pleuroperitoneal Shunt. Clin Nucl Med, 41(11), 858-861. ()

    Editorial

    1. Covington MF (2023). Blurred Lines in Breast Density Assessment on an International Scale. J Am Coll Radiol, 20(7), 685-686. ()
    2. Covington MF (2022). Ultrasound Elastography May Better Characterize BI-RADS 3 and BI-RADS 4A Lesions to Decrease False-Positive Breast Biopsy Rates and Enable Earlier Detection of Breast Cancer. J Am Coll Radiol, 19(5), 635-636. ()
    3. Covington MF (2020). Impact of time awake and hours slept at night on radiologists’ mammogram interpretations: why we must not burnout on radiologist burnout. 18(5), 739-740.

    Letter

    1. Covington MF (2023). ACR Recommendations for Breast Cancer Screening Are Confusing. [Letter to the editor]. J Am Coll Radiol, 21(2), 221-222. ()
    2. Covington MF (2022). Rethinking the ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Supplemental Breast Cancer Screening Based on Breast Density. [Letter to the editor]. J Am Coll Radiol, 19(5), 595. ()
    3. Zenger SK, Covington MF (2021). Comparison of Country of Origin, Research Collaborations, and Funding for Original Scientific Publications in the Journal Radiology from 2009 and 2019. [Letter to the editor]. Radiology, 299(1), E221-E222. ()
    4. Covington MF (2020). Molecular breast imaging deserves fair and balanced consideration.  [Letter to the editor]. 2(6), 519.
    5. Covington MF, Brown M (2020). Molecular Breast Imaging at Ultra-Low Radiation Dose. [Letter to the editor]. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 215(2), W30. ()
    6. Covington MF (2019). Molecular Breast Imaging Under Threat by the Protecting Access to Medicare Act and ACR Appropriate Use Criteria. [Letter to the editor]. J Am Coll Radiol, 17(4), 445. ()
    7. Covington MF, Rhodes DJ, Pizzitola VJ (2016). Molecular Breast Imaging and the 2016 Update to the ACR Appropriateness Criteria for Breast Cancer Screening. [Letter to the editor]. J Am Coll Radiol, 13(12 Pt A), 1408. ()
    8. Covington MF, Seibyl J, Kuo PH (2015). Adjusting ACR Appropriateness Criteria for Novel Radiopharmaceuticals. [Letter to the editor]. J Am Coll Radiol, 12(12 Pt A), 1242-3. ()

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