Cassandra Barksdale hysterectomy lawsuit alleges cancer sample mix-up
A Georgia lawsuit alleges a mislabeled tissue sample led Cassandra Barksdale to undergo a hysterectomy after a false cancer diagnosis.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Cassandra Barksdale, an Atlanta-area woman, alleges in a lawsuit that a tissue-sample labeling mistake caused her to be diagnosed with aggressive uterine cancer and undergo a full hysterectomy at age 43. The Cassandra Barksdale hysterectomy lawsuit targets Kaiser Permanente entities and technicians believed to have handled her sample, and raises unresolved questions about how the reported mix-up happened.
Barksdale sought care at Kaiser Permanente Southwood Medical Center in Jonesboro, Georgia, in early 2025 for heavy bleeding and fibroids, according to Fortune and Associated Press reporting. Fibroids are noncancerous growths in or around the uterus. She had a biopsy on March 10 and was told on March 17 that she had high-grade endometrial uterine cancer, according to the lawsuit as described by NBC News.
What does Cassandra Barksdale’s lawsuit allege?
The lawsuit alleges that tissue from another patient was identified as Barksdale’s, leading doctors to act on a cancer diagnosis that was not hers. Barksdale underwent a full hysterectomy on May 15, 2025, and was told she would receive instructions about chemotherapy, Fortune reported.
NBC News reported that the surgery removed Barksdale’s cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. The lawsuit says the operation caused premature menopause, and that testing after surgery found no cancer or malignancy in the endometrial cavity, NBC reported.
In September, Barksdale was told that DNA analysis had determined the sample showing aggressive cancer belonged to another patient, not her, according to Fortune and the Associated Press. The reporting does not establish how the sample was mixed up, and the lawsuit’s allegations have not been decided by a court.
What has Kaiser Permanente said?
Kaiser Permanente said Barksdale should not have had this experience. The company said it had procedures intended to prevent such errors, took immediate steps after the incident to prevent a repeat, and was committed to reaching a fair and accountable resolution with Barksdale and her lawyers, according to Fortune and the Associated Press.
The case was filed in Clayton County, Georgia, NBC News reported. It names Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente Insurance Co. and laboratory technicians believed to have handled the sample. NBC reported that Barksdale is seeking at least $10,000 in damages and a jury trial.
What is known about the other patient?
Very little is public. Privacy laws prevent disclosure of details about the other patient, including whether that person’s cancer treatment was delayed, Fortune reported. An attorney for Barksdale said the legal process could provide more information about whether anyone else was affected, NBC reported.
It is also unclear how often pathology samples are mislabeled or confused during testing. Fortune and the Associated Press reported that laboratories use measures such as barcode-based specimen labeling and point-of-care testing to reduce errors.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.