** Shares of cancer‑test developer Lucid Diagnostics LUCD.O rise 3.31% to $1.25 premarket

** Co says it has secured a U.S. Veterans Affairs contract for EsoGuard, its test that checks for DNA changes linked to early esophageal cancer

**  Esophageal cancer often begins as damage from long‑term heartburn and EsoGuard uses a quick office procedure to collect cells and screen for these changes, per LUCD

**  Says VA hospitals and clinics nationwide can now buy the test at Medicare‑matched pricing, giving more than 9 million people access to early esophageal cancer screening

** LUCD gained ~33% in 2025

(Reporting by Sahil Pandey in Bengaluru)

((Sahil.Pandey@thomsonreuters.com))