Atlanta Woman Sues Kaiser Permanente Over Mislabeled Cancer Sample Leading to Hysterectomy

Cassandra Barksdale filed the lawsuit Tuesday against Kaiser Permanente, claiming a tissue sample from another patient was mistakenly labeled as hers. At 43, she underwent a full hysterectomy on May 15, 2025, at Kaiser Permanente Southwood Medical Center in Jonesboro, Georgia, and was later told to expect chemotherapy instructions. In September 2025, Barksdale learned that DNA analysis showed the sample, which indicated aggressive endometrial uterine cancer, belonged to someone else.

Her attorney, Shannan Young, said, "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 had visited the facility in early 2025 for heavy bleeding and fibroids, undergoing a biopsy on March 10, 2025. After receiving results on March 17, she lived for months believing she had aggressive cancer, plunging her and her sons into deep depression.

"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, she said. Kaiser Permanente responded: Ms. Barksdale should not have experienced this.