Georgia woman says she was wrongly diagnosed with cancer and had hysterectomy due to labeling error

Atlanta resident Cassandra Barksdale claims she received an erroneous cancer diagnosis and subsequently underwent an unnecessary hysterectomy due to a labeling error at Kaiser Permanente. Barksdale, together with her legal team, has filed a lawsuit against the health care provider alleging the mix-up resulted in significant physical and emotional distress.

According to the lawsuit, another individual's tissue sample was erroneously associated with Barksdale, who at the age of 43, subsequently underwent a full hysterectomy on May 15, 2025. She was mistakenly informed that chemotherapy would follow the procedure. It remains uncertain how the mix-up transpired. Barksdale was informed in September that DNA analysis conclusively showed the tissue sample, indicating an aggressive form of endometrial uterine cancer, belonged to another patient.

Barksdale's attorney, Shannan Young, stated that "She came into Kaiser Permanente looking for answers, and she left with a diagnosis that did not belong to her. And every step that was taken after that was based off of misinformation." Barksdale visited Kaiser Permanente Southwood Medical Center in Jonesboro, Georgia, in early 2025, seeking treatment for heavy bleeding and fibroids, noncancerous growths in the uterus.

She underwent a biopsy on March 10, 2025, and received test results on March 17, 2025. The plaintiff stated that she lived through months believing she had a severe form of cancer, leading her and her sons to a state of profound depression. She expressed, "I even started making funeral plans with them to let them know, you know, if I don’t make it out, this is what I want done."