Cassandra Barksdale is suing Kaiser Permanente and lab staff after she had a total hysterectomy over a cancer misdiagnosis, according to court filings. (FOX5)
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A Fulton County woman is suing multiple Kaiser Permanente entities and laboratory staff after a mislabeled tissue sample led to an unnecessary total hysterectomy, according to court documents.
Kaiser Permanente medical lawsuit
What we know:
Cassandra Barksdale, 43, filed the personal injury lawsuit in the State Court of Clayton County on Tuesday against Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Permanente Insurance Company, and senior laboratory information analyst Cecelia Prestridge.
The filing claims Barksdale sought treatment for uterine fibroids and bleeding at Kaiser Permanente Southwood Comprehensive Medical Center in Jonesboro in early 2025 before a March 10, 2025, biopsy led to an incorrect diagnosis of aggressive endometrial uterine cancer.
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Georgia woman sues over unnecessary hysterectomy
Cassandra Barksdale, 43, filed the personal injury lawsuit in the State Court of Clayton County on Tuesday against Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Permanente Insurance Company, and senior laboratory information analyst Cecelia Prestridge after a mislabeled tissue sample led to an unnecessary total hysterectomy, according to court documents.
Misdiagnosis leads to surgery
What Happened:
Based on the lab findings, Barksdale was referred to a specialist at Northside Hospital and underwent a total hysterectomy on May 15, 2025, where surgeons removed her cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and four lymph nodes, the filing states.
Although post-surgical lab reports in May 2025 showed no malignancy, staff informed her in July 2025 that she had cancer and needed to await further instructions, the suit says.
On Sept. 23, 2025, Kaiser Permanente administrators admitted to Barksdale that DNA testing revealed the cancerous tissue belonged to someone else, the lawsuit says. Quest Diagnostics formally notified her in December 2025 to disregard the initial biopsy results.
The lawsuit alleges chain-of-custody failures and negligence, demanding a jury trial for compensatory damages over $10,000 alongside legal fees. Barksdale is represented by Atlanta attorneys Roderick Edmond, M.D.,J.D., Shannan Young, Pharm.D., J.D and Clark Edmond of The Edmond Firm.
Patient suffers permanent harm
What they're saying:
At an 11 a.m. press conference on Tuesday, Barksdale explained that after the alleged misdiagnosis, she immediately thought she was going to die.
"I had to contact my kids to let them know that I have five years to live, and I'm going to die because I have aggressive cancer. I started contacting other attorneys to try to get trust funds so that way I could leave my house and have trust for my kids. My sons went into a deep depression. It took a big hold over my family," Barksdale explained.
Barksdale added that after she learned of the mix-up, she felt dueling emotions.
"I was excited that I didn't have cancer. But I was still upset because the person out there that got my tissue and was thinking that they only have fibroids, they're walking around for seven months thinking they only have fibroids, and I was the one with the cancer. So it made me feel very, you know, I was very angry and sad, and I was very concerned about the other person," she said.
Barksdale explained that there were moments when she felt suicidal and has undergone mental health counseling given the ordeal. Ultimately, Barksdale said she wants to make sure no one goes through the same experience.
"I want accountability and I also want what happened to me; I don't want it to happen to no one else," Barksdale said.
Barksdale's attorney also called the situation "bizarre," saying he rarely sees a similar case given the advancements in modern technology that allow these mistakes to be avoided.
"For almost four months, Mrs. Barksdale waited in fear and anguish for her next instructions about her supposed "cancer" treatment," attorneys from The Edmond Firm told FOX 5 Atlanta.
Legal counsel added, "The trauma she sustained is solely because the hospital failed at one of the most fundamental responsibilities in medicine: correct patient identification."
FOX 5 Atlanta has reached out to Kaiser Permanente and Cecelia Prestridge for further comment on the lawsuit.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from court documents filed in the State Court of Clayton County, as well as a press release provided to FOX 5 Atlanta by Atlanta attorneys of The Edmond Firm. Additional information comes from a press conference held by Cassandra Barksdale and her attorneys.