Tameka Stigers, a resident of Douglasville, Georgia, says she was incorrectly diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2022 after a biopsy specimen was mislabeled at a laboratory, leading to a recommendation for a hysterectomy.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, alleges that the mix-up occurred at a reference lab that processes tests for her OB-GYN’s office, and that the error was not discovered until after her surgery.
I trusted the medical system, and a clerical error cost me my ability to have more children, Stigers said in a statement provided to The Daily Lens through her legal counsel.
The suit names the laboratory and the healthcare provider as defendants, claiming negligence in specimen handling and failure to follow proper identification protocols. It seeks damages for medical expenses, emotional distress, and loss of reproductive function.
According to the College of American Pathologists, specimen mislabeling occurs in approximately 0.1% to 0.5% of cases, but when it happens in oncology testing, the consequences can be severe and irreversible.
Stigers underwent a total hysterectomy in late 2022 before seeking a second opinion, which revealed no evidence of malignancy in the original tissue. She now advocates for stronger safeguards in pathology labs to prevent diagnostic errors.
Labeling Error in Cancer Diagnostics
Experts note that while rare, pre-analytical errors like mislabeling are a persistent vulnerability in laboratory medicine, often occurring during specimen collection or transport. Unlike analytical errors, which happen during testing, pre-analytical mistakes can invalidate results entirely.
Healthcare systems are increasingly adopting barcode tracking and electronic verification systems to reduce such risks, but implementation remains inconsistent across smaller labs and outpatient providers.
Moving forward, the case may prompt renewed scrutiny of lab accreditation standards and patient notification procedures when errors are discovered post-treatment. Stigers’ attorneys say they hope the lawsuit encourages systemic reform rather than just financial compensation.
Key questions
- What led to the woman's unnecessary hysterectomy according to the lawsuit?
- The lawsuit alleges that a biopsy specimen was mislabeled at a medical laboratory, causing doctors to incorrectly diagnose her with endometrial cancer and recommend a hysterectomy, which was later found to be unnecessary after a second opinion showed no cancer.
- How common are specimen labeling errors in medical testing?
- Specimen mislabeling occurs in an estimated 0.1% to 0.5% of cases, according to the College of American Pathologists, but errors in cancer diagnostics can lead to severe, irreversible consequences like unnecessary surgery.
