Atlanta mother sues Kaiser after mistaken cancer diagnosis leads to unnecessary hysterectomy

Cassandra Barksdale filed a lawsuit claiming a lab mix-up at Kaiser Permanente caused her to be misdiagnosed with aggressive uterine cancer and undergo a full hysterectomy that was later found unnecessary.

In January 2025, Cassandra Barksdale underwent a biopsy at Kaiser Permanente Southwood Medical Center in Jonesboro, Georgia, to investigate uterine fibroids. Due to a labeling mistake, doctors reviewed another patient’s tissue and told her in March that she had a high-grade, aggressive endometrial cancer, recommending a total hysterectomy with removal of ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix and four lymph nodes. A CT scan later showed no evidence of cancer, yet pathology reports still suggested malignancy, leading to a recommendation for chemotherapy.

In September 2025 the hospital admitted the cancerous sample was from a different patient, confirming the surgery was unnecessary. Barksdale’s suit claims negligence, permanent injury, and emotional trauma for her and her sons, and requests $10,000 in damages and a jury trial. Kaiser Permanente expressed regret and said it has implemented additional safeguards after the incident.