infected small lobes in back of neck

The tiny nodes primarally in the back of my head and neck keep getting infected. When I agressively treat one with antibiotic cream, more appear somewhere else. The bone in my skull sometimes even feels swollen and warm. I've had some episodes of extreme ear pain, or neck pain and cramping. This has been going on for over a year now. I should just get some internal antibiotics to treat this-but I have this irrational fear it is cancer-and just hoping I can get rid of it on my own and for it to go away. I would be totally unprepared for cancer-as far as financies insurance and emotionally. Can you tell me the probability is low and is most likely mastoiditis or something treatable?