Objective　This study inquired into the mechanism of cancer vascular metastasis. Methods　The immunohistochemical method was adopted in determining the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) and nuclear factor κB (NFκBp65) on the peritumoral rectum tissues and metastatic lymph nodes of 8 patients and on the rectum tissues and lymph nodes of 5 normal human subjects. Also, the method of in situ hybridization was employed in detecting the binding site of NFκBp65 on vascular endothelial cells. Results　It was found that the proteins of ICAM-1 and NFκBp65 were expressed on the vascular endothelial cells of the rectum adenocarcinoma patients, and there was a NFκB binding consensus sequences on ICAM-1 promoter in the vascular endothelial cells of the rectum adenocarcinoma patients. When DIG-AKP labeled 38-bp oligonucleotide probe was used, there was no expression of ICAM-1 and NFκBp65 on the vascular endothelial cells of the normal human lymph node and rectum tissues. Conclusion　The above data suggest that the activation of ICAM-1 promoter may critically depend on NFκBp65 homodimers or heterodimers binding to a variant κB site on the vascular endothelial cells of human rectum adencarcinoma. These may indicate the potential roles of NFκB in cancer metastasis, thus giving clues to the development of a novel anti-metastasis strategy.