The present study demonstrated that the CX3CL1‐CX3CR1 axis mediates ICAM‐1 expression and subsequently induces tumour migration and invasion in OSCC cells, suggesting that CX3CL1 is a crucial indicator in determining the prognosis of tumour metastasis and provides a novel tumour therapeutic target in human oral squamous cell carcinoma. The gene discussed is ICAM1; the disease is oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.