An Atlanta-area woman has sued Kaiser Permanente, alleging employees mishandled a uterine tissue sample and caused her to receive a false diagnosis of aggressive cancer before undergoing surgery that removed her reproductive organs.
The lawsuit, filed in Clayton County, Georgia, by Cassandra Barksdale, 43, names Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente Insurance Co., and laboratory employees believed to have handled the specimen. She claims the error led doctors to remove her cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries, forcing her into premature menopause.
Barksdale first sought care at a Kaiser Permanente center in January 2025 after experiencing abnormal uterine bleeding and concerns related to fibroids, according to the complaint. She later underwent an endometrial biopsy, which involves removing a small amount of tissue from the lining of the uterus so it can be examined for abnormal cells.
The sample was sent to Quest Diagnostics for pathology testing. On March 17, Barksdale was told that the biopsy showed high-grade, aggressive endometrial cancer.
A later CT scan showed no signs of cancer, according to the complaint. Barksdale was referred to a doctor at Northside Hospital Atlanta, who recommended surgery based on the pathology report and other medical records.
The procedure included a total hysterectomy, removal of both ovaries and biopsies of nearby lymph nodes. Testing performed after the surgery found no cancer...
An Atlanta-area woman has sued Kaiser Permanente, alleging employees mishandled a uterine tissue sample and caused her to receive a false diagnosis of aggressive cancer before undergoing surgery t...