Erika Rosettie knows that cancer patients often don’t know about cancer clinical trials. That’s why she takes the time to educate all of her patients about cancer research and the benefits it can offer them and patients in the future.

“I encourage clinical trials. If we don’t have something at our facility, I encourage people to find one at a center nearby or in New York City,” says Erika, who works as an oncology nurse at Guthrie Cancer Center in Corning, New York. “A lot of people shy away from clinical trials because they’re nervous. They don’t understand them. I want to help people understand what they are so they’re not afraid.”

Erika has cared for people with cancer for the past seven years, but the disease recently became more personal to her. Her father-in-law died of prostate cancer in 2003 and her uncle was diagnosed with leukemia just a few months later. She felt the helplessness, fear and pain of cancer in a different way. Because of her experience and knowledge her family turned to her for answers and information about cancer treatments. As a result of Erika’s involvement, her uncle is enrolled in a cancer clinical trial.

Personal physical fitness has been important to Erika throughout her adult life. She is a fitness enthusiast and downhill skier. Both of her daughters are avid athletes and her husband is her cycling partner.

Erika wants to use her athletic and cycling ability to go beyond her upstate New York cancer center and reach many more people with the good news about cancer research. Helping patients through their cancer treatment is a daily challenge, but by being on the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope™ Team, Erika is doing something for cancer patients; something beyond what she does every day.

“It’s something I can do for them physically so hopefully fewer people will die from cancer in the future,” she says.