SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - Jun 10, 2013) - Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS), The Breast Health Company, today announced its support for Are You Dense, Inc., an independent, national breast health advocacy organization dedicated to informing the public about dense breast tissue and its significance for the early detection of breast cancer. Are You Dense, Inc. was founded by Nancy M. Cappello, Ph.D., who was diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer in February 2004 after receiving "normal" mammography reports for a decade.

Dr. Steven Quay, chairman, CEO & president of Atossa Genetics and inventor of the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test for breast cancer risk assessment, stated, "According to published data, women with dense breasts are at higher risk of breast cancer. In addition, dense breasts make spotting tumors by mammography more difficult, increasing the chances that a tumor will be missed. We believe that the efforts of Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. to enact legislation requiring that women be notified if they have dense breasts are in the public interest. We support the efforts of Are You Dense Advocacy and encourage the enactment of dense breast notification laws."

Dense breast notification legislation requires that women who are found through mammography to have dense breasts must be notified of this fact. Seven states, including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, Texas and Virginia have enacted such legislation. Similar dense breast measures have been introduced or advanced in many other states. At the federal level, the Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act of 2011 (HR 3102) was introduced in the previous Congress in October 2011 by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Representative Steve Israel (D-NY).

"We know that early detection of breast cancer saves lives," said Kathleen Vielhaber of Bellingham, Washington, whose sister passed away in 2013 at the age of 53 from breast cancer after her advanced cancer was not detected by a mammogram. "Women with dense breasts, such as my sister, may need additional screening with newer methods, such as Atossa's ForeCYTE Breast Health Test, that are not affected by dense breast tissue. That's why I support Are You Dense to help raise awareness of the need for more and better screening of women with dense breasts and to make sure they get information that could save their lives."

Dr. Quay said that Atossa looks forward to working with Vielhaber in Washington State to enact a breast density notification law.

In January 2013, Atossa launched the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test, which analyzes cells from the linings of the milk ducts where approximately 95 percent of breast cancers arise. Atossa believes that its test is advantageous for women with dense breasts since dense breast tissue does not affect the test's ability to collect and analyze cells and assess breast cancer risk.

For additional information on breast cancer risk, including the risks associated with dense breasts, please visit the Breast Cancer Overview page on the American Cancer Society's website.

About Atossa Genetics, Inc.

Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS), The Breast Health Company, is based in Seattle, WA, and is focused on preventing breast cancer through the commercialization of patented diagnostic medical devices and patented laboratory developed tests (LDT) that can detect precursors to breast cancer up to eight years before mammography, and through research and development that will permit it to commercialize treatments for pre-cancerous lesions. Are You Dense, Inc. is not affiliated with Atossa Genetics.

The National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health (NRLBH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Atossa Genetics, Inc., is a CLIA-certified high-complexity molecular diagnostic laboratory located in Seattle, Washington. The NRLBH provides the patented ForeCYTE Breast Health Test, a risk assessment test for women 18 to 73 years of age akin to the Pap Smear, and the ArgusCYTE Breast Health Test, a blood test for recurrence in breast cancer survivors that provides a "liquid biopsy" for circulating breast cancer cells and a tailored treatment plan for patients and their caregivers.

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Atossa Genetics Supports Are You Dense, Inc. and Its Work to Enact Dense Breast Notification Laws

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