A Georgia woman has filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente, alleging a labeling error led to a misdiagnosis of aggressive cancer and an unnecessary hysterectomy. Cassandra Barksdale, 43, underwent the procedure on May 15, 2025, and was initially told she would need chemotherapy following the surgery.
According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday, another patient's tissue sample was erroneously labeled as Barksdale's. She had initially sought treatment at Kaiser Permanente Southwood Medical Center in Jonesboro, Georgia, in early 2025 for heavy bleeding and fibroids, noncancerous growths in the uterus. A biopsy was performed on March 10, 2025.
Barksdale stated that after receiving the biopsy results on March 17, 2025, she believed for months that she had an aggressive form of cancer, a diagnosis that caused significant depression for her and her sons. "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," Barksdale said.
In September, a DNA analysis revealed that the tissue sample indicating cancer belonged to another patient, the lawsuit states. "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," said her attorney, Shannan Young.
Kaiser Permanente representatives acknowledged the incident in a statement, saying, “Ms. Barksdale should not have experienced this.” The statement also noted that the organization has stringent processes to prevent such errors and has taken immediate steps to prevent recurrence. "We realize the impact of this incident and are committed to working with Ms. Barksdale and her counsel to resolve this in the most fair and accountable way we can,” the statement read.
Information regarding the other patient involved in the mix-up is not publicly available due to privacy laws. It is also unclear whether that patient's cancer treatment was delayed.
Mislabeled or mixed-up pathology samples are not a frequent occurrence in medical testing. A research paper from 2011 noted three instances of biopsy sample misidentification over two years in prostate cancer studies. Additionally, a lawsuit was filed by an Ohio woman who claimed a 2019 biopsy error resulted in a lung cancer misdiagnosis and unnecessary surgery.
Laboratories have implemented best practices to minimize errors, such as barcode systems for specimen labeling and point-of-care testing. The Georgia lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages, with Barksdale's attorney stating, “There’s no amount of money that’s going to return back to her, her healthy organs, or erase the experiences and the pain that she’s had. But our justice system recognizes that when somebody’s negligence harms another person, accountability requires more than ‘I’m sorry.'