Assent observed: children's involvement in leukemia treatment and research discussions.

Objective: Assent is a critical issue in pediatric ethics that has not been well-studied. We examined the role of older children in discussing a recent diagnosis of acute leukemia and treatment options, including participation in a randomized, clinical trial (RCT).

Design: Our sample was drawn from data collected as part of a larger, National Cancer Institute-funded study in which we observed, tape-recorded, and transcribed the informed consent conference (ICC) for children with leukemia at 6 institutions.